An ideal air standard cycle analysis of the solar chimney power plant gives the limiting performance, ideal efficiencies and relationships between main variables. The present paper includes chimney friction, system, turbine and exit kinetic energy losses in the analysis. A simple model of the solar collector is used to include the coupling of the mass flow and temperature rise in the solar collector. The method is used to predict the performance and operating range of a large-scale plant. The solar chimney model is verified by comparing the simulation of a small-scale plant with experimental data. [S0199-6231(00)00503-7].