Fractal steel texturing could solve the corrosive effect of higher temperature solar salts in tomorrow’s Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) We recently caught up with Dr. Ranga Pitchumani, who was the Chief Scientist for the SunShot Initiative, Founding Director of its Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) program, and Director of the Initiative’s Systems (Grid) Integration program at […]
Despite a renewable capacity of 2.6 times peak demand, Spain’s intermittent renewables do not provide grid needs for operating reserves and frequency stability, so they have not displaced conventional fossil technologies Source: EVWind Each MW of solar thermal power can replace each MW of gas and achieve a total transition of the electricity sector, which […]
https://cleantechnica.com/2023/06/01/heliostat-consortium-announces-funding-awards-aimed-at-lowering-costs-barriers-to-widespread-heliostat-deployment/ The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Sandia National Laboratories, co-leads of the Heliostat Consortium, announced seven awardees from a request for proposals (RFP) aimed at achieving DOE’s goals for heliostat cost reduction, sustained multifaceted innovation, and improved solar field performance. Heliostats are mirrors that track the sun in order to […]
Abstract: Considering that CSP could be promoted in Europe, additional installed capacity will have positive or negative impacts on the economy, society and the environment, or trigger higher or lower energy supply dependence from non-European economies. Components will be produced, intermediate inputs (both domestic and imported) will be required, commodities will be extracted and personnel […]
Abstract: Process heating is the activity with the most energy consumption in the industrial sector. Solar heating (SH) systems are a promising alternative to provide renewable thermal energy to industrial processes. However, factors such as high investment costs and area limitations in industrial facilities hinder their utilization; therefore, hybrid systems that combine two different solar […]
Abstract: The improvement of solar thermochemical reactor performance is crucial in solar energy utilization technology. This study presents an integrated design method for solar thermochemical concentrator-reactor to enhance performance and safety guided by the ideal optimized solar radiation distribution. The ideal solar radiation distribution in the reactor is obtained by gradient optimization algorithm and the […]
Solar even under grey skies 365 days a year: Typically, simplicity equals low costs. But the creators of a multi-technology thermochemical energy storage system for Gen3 concentrating solar power (CSP) claim that their complex design would bring costs down by enabling the delivery of solar energy not just within a day or two like today, […]
The upcoming Cologne Solar Colloquium will focus on the latest developments in “Condition Monitoring of Solar Systems”. Our aim is to bring together industry specialists and researchers to explore crucial monitoring methods, tools, and techniques that can enhance the performance of solar plants. Whether you are a researcher, an industry professional, in higher education or […]
Solgest-1, the first new Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) project in Spain could start construction this year The thermal energy storage of the Solgest-1 110 MW CSP will generate 1,900 MWh. The total 150 MW of solar energy will be a hybrid of CSP with 40 MW PV, sited in Andalucia, near Sener’s Gemasolar Tower CSP, […]
Abstract: Wind loads on heliostats are often investigated through experimental wind tunnel studies or numerical simulations. However, these approaches cannot consider the full-scale conditions but require a reproduction and simulation of both the heliostat structure and the wind conditions. Complementary full-scale investigations are therefore crucial but are at the same time relatively costly, as it is cumbersome to set […]
Abstract: La and Yb were incorporated as co-doping elements into Zr-doped ceria to investigate the influence of doping ions by means of ionic radius and valence on the ceria crystal lattice and potentially on thermodynamic and kinetic properties relevant to solar-driven two-step thermochemical CO2 splitting. Both Zr–La and Zr–Yb co-doped ceria clearly exhibited better reduction capability […]
Abstract: Reactor structure design plays an important role in the performance of solar-thermal methane reforming reactors. Based on a conventional preheating reactor, this study proposed a cylindrical solar methane reforming reactor with multiple inlets to vary the temperature field distribution, which improved the temperature of the reaction region in the reactor, thereby improving the reactor […]
Abstract: Solar-driven two-step thermochemical cycling is a promising means to convert solar energy into storable and transportable chemical fuel, in which hydrogen or carbon monoxide is generated by continuous reduction and oxidation reactions. However, the high energy consumption of deoxygenation in the reduction step is an important factor restricting its efficiency improvement. In this work, […]
A new solar-radiation-concentrating device produces green hydrogen at a rate of more than 2 kilowatts while maintaining efficiencies above 20%. The pilot-scale device, which is already operational under real sunlight conditions, also produces usable heat and oxygen, and its developers at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland say it could be commercialized […]
Source: Helios CSP Built by China Shipbuilding New Power, and featuring the EuroTrough, China’s largest trough CSP plant achieves a record annual output China’s largest trough solar thermal power plant, located in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, generated 330 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in the 12-month period ending on March 31 this year. Designed and […]
Source: CSPPlaza The daily output of Power China’s` Gonghe 50MW tower solar thermal power plant hit a record high in a single month. Recently, the latest statistics of Gonghe 50MW solar thermal power station, Qinghai Branch of China Power Construction New Energy Group, show that the cumulative power generation of the power station in April […]
Heat-recovery ideas for solar reactors existed as theories “but not to actually go to the lab, build a device and try to make it work.”
Abstract: Solar thermochemical hydrogen (STCH) generation is a promising approach for eco-friendly H2 production, but conventional STCH redox compounds cannot easily achieve desirable thermodynamic and kinetic properties and phase stability simultaneously due to a rather limited compositional space. Expanding from the nascent high-entropy ceramics field, this study explores a new class of compositionally complex perovskite […]
SolarPACES 2023: Abstract Submission Period Extended to May 12 In response to several requests, we have decided to extend the abstract submission period by one week to Friday, May 12, 2023. You are cordially invited to submit an abstract with a maximum of two pages, explaining the significance of your work. Abstracts on these conference topics may be submitted. […]
The molten salt mixture deployed in today’s commercial CSP plants for thermal energy storage is liquid at 565°C and degrades at higher temperatures. Yet higher temperatures would increase thermal efficiency. So how can we develop a molten salt mix that can reach temperatures up to 620°C without degradation? And at the same time, how can […]
Abstract: This article discusses several routes available to produce hydrogen fuel, with a special focus on solar thermochemical cycles for Water Splitting (WS). Solar thermochemical WS cycles are a potential technology to produce green hydrogen and CO in the future due to their great potential to become a commercial-scale process. This technology is still under development, […]
ACWA Power has announced the commercial operation of the world’s tallest solar power tower at its Noor Energy 1 project in Dubai. The 100 MW central tower is part of the 950 MW solar Independent Power Project (IPP) that comprises 700 MW of CSP (600 MW of Trough and 100 MW of Tower) as well […]
Three years ago, Abengoa thermal energy storage engineer Cristina Prieto exchanged the relatively secretive world of commercial CSP for academia. Now, as the professor for a newly created thermal energy storage discipline at the School of Engineering at the University of Seville, she can be creative at the research level. Returning to academia enabled her […]
Abstract: Drop-in fuels produced using solar energy can provide a viable pathway towards sustainable transportation, especially for the long-haul aviation sector which is strongly dependent on jet fuel. This study reports on the experimental testing of a solar reactor using concentrated solar energy for the production of syngas, a mixture of mainly H2 and CO, […]
“The power grid company is requested to give priority support to the grid connection and dispatching of the base projects equipped with solar thermal power” says a new government planning document. Source: CSPPlaza China National Energy Administration issued the Notice Related to Promoting the Large-scale Development of Solar Thermal Power. Recently, China National Energy Administration […]
CSP Focus reports via email (More Detail is available for CSP Focus Membership.) 619MWh Daily Generation – Power China Gonghe 50MW Tower CSP Project Recently, the news came from Power China Gonghe 50MW Molten Salt Tower CSP Project, after the single-day power generation reached 572,000 kWh on March 9, 2023, the single-day power generation of […]
Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) of Solar Energy Engineering The Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (www.mavt.ethz.ch) at ETH Zurich invites applications for the above-mentioned position. Successful applicants must demonstrate an excellent international record of research accomplishments in solar energy science and engineering. The new professor is expected to establish an ambitious, world-class research program in […]
Tower CSP thermal storage initially had a tank leak problem. Vast Solar says they have the solution
The CSIRO Renewable Energy Storage Roadmap identifies Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) as the lowest cost technology for long-duration renewable energy storage, among the storage technologies required to reach net zero in Australia. The CSIRO Renewable Energy Storage Roadmap outlines the significant role that concentrating solar thermal power (often referred to as CSP or CST) will play […]
Adding Nickel to Ceria can yield Solar Syngas at lower temperatures – at just 700°C Solar thermochemistry researchers at the University of Florida and Synhelion tried a new way to generate syngas, the precursor to hydrocarbon fuels like jet fuel or diesel. Solar syngas production is an important research area for meeting climate goals. This […]
Abstract: The solar splitting of H2O and CO2 via a thermochemical redox cycle offers a viable pathway for producing sustainable drop-in fuels for the transportation sectors. The key performance metric is its solar-to-fuel energy efficiency, which is strongly dependent on the ability to recover heat during the temperature swing between the reduction and oxidation steps. Here […]
Goal: ensure the quartz window never exceeds 300°C, despite solar receiver temperatures above 1500°C – keeping thermal efficiency over 50%
Abstract: Drop-in fuels produced using solar energy can provide a viable pathway towards sustainable transportation, especially for the long-haul aviation sector which is strongly dependent on jet fuel. This study reports on the experimental testing of a solar reactor using concentrated solar energy for the production of syngas, a mixture of mainly H2 and CO, which […]
First networking event of Women+ in Concentrated Solar Rebecca Mitchell works at NREL on algorithms to determine error of heliostats and she’s also creating a database on CSP education related materials. During the first networking event on March 9, 2023, she met with many CSP experts, who could provide her materials for her database. Also, […]
SolarPACES 2023: First Announcement and Call for Papers SolarPACES (Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems) is pleased to announce the SolarPACES 2023 conference to be held from October 10 – 13, 2023, in Sydney, Australia. SolarPACES is the premier international network advancing research, development, and commercial deployment of concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) and related technologies. Australia, with its high […]
Source: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) has issued a request for information (RFI) on the technology needs and cost targets for renewable fuels produced using solar-thermal energy and thermal energy storage. SETO requests feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, […]
China Solar Thermal Alliance to present China’s CSP status update Date: March 21, Time: 21:00 (9 PM) Beijing time UTC 13:00:00 Opening remarks: Christoph Richter, Secretariat at SolarPACES Introductory Comments: Zhifeng Wang, Chairman of China Solar Thermal Alliance Presentation of Blue Book on China’s CSP Industry 2022: Fengli Du, Secretary of China Solar Thermal Alliance […]
A solar thermal energy storage breakthrough – single tank thermal energy storage avoiding thermocline thickening has been tested successfully
Abstract: Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is an electricity generation technology that concentrates solar irradiance through heliostats onto a small area, the receiver, where a heat transfer medium, currently a fluid (HTF), is used as heat carrier towards the heat storage and power block. It has been under the spotlight for a decade as one of […]
The pilot at Sandia will demonstrate its next-generation high-temperature concentrated solar technology that can be used for energy storage, power production, industrial process heat, or solar fuel production. Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) celebrated the groundbreaking of its Generation 3 concentrating solar-thermal pilot facility at Sandia National Laboratories. This […]
Vast Solar now Vast with NETC on the NY Stock Exchange. The Australian firm is a previous winner of the SolarPACES Innovation Award
“Today, Treasury and IRS, in partnership with DOE, announced the intent to release approximately $4 billion in a first round of tax credits for projects that expand U.S. supply chains for clean energy technologies and critical materials for clean energy technology production, and for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions at industrial facilities. Approximately $1.6 […]
Abstract: Coupling with supercritical power cycle can improve the thermal efficiency of the concentrated solar system. Design the suitable thermal storage medium is critical to the new coupling system. A new ternary eutectic salt with low cost was developed composed of NaCl, Na2CO3, and Na2SO4 based on the calculation method of phase diagram, meeting the requirements […]
Women in CSP advancing a game-changing solar technology of the future gain 100 members, start website
HySiLabs has pioneered a low-cost, non-toxic, non-explosive green hydrogen storage method in a liquid at ambient pressures and temperatures
[Ed: the novel STELLIO heliostats seen here, and used in this Hami Tower CSP project, won the SolarPACES Innovation Award for 2015] MASERMIC and SBP Sonne have completed the commissioning of the 50MW HAMI tower solar plant located in CHINA, XINJIANG province. It is based on the STELLIO heliostat solar field technology. The solar plant […]
Tower CSP needs talented engineers in optics, robotics and AI to advance heliostat technology and cut costs.
Abstract: High-temperature thermochemical energy storage materials with high energy density is the key technical support for the third generation concentrated solar power plants equipped with advanced energy storage system. CuO/Cu2O redox couple is one of the most promising systems due to its low cost and high energy density, but its application is limited by poor […]
Summary: Developing solar technologies for producing carbon-neutral aviation fuels has become a global energy challenge, but their readiness level has largely been limited to laboratory-scale studies. Here, we report on the experimental demonstration of a fully integrated thermochemical production chain from H2O and CO2 to kerosene using concentrated solar energy in a solar tower configuration. The […]
Comparison study of thermoclinic heat storage tanks using different liquid metals for concentrated solar power Abstract: Liquid metals are good potential heat transfer materials for thermoclinic heat storage (THS) systems and will play an important role in the next generation solar thermal power system with higher operating temperature. This paper presents a comparative research […]
Fraunhofer-Chile finds a solar combo (PV-CSP hybrid) generates the same flexible energy as gas, at lower LCOE
Abstract: Recently, green hydrogen production via solar thermochemical water splitting (STWS) as a clean and sustainable method is becoming a subject of interest to many researchers. Great efforts are being made to develop materials for STWS with suitable operating conditions, low cost, and good cycling stability. In this context, the study of mixed cobalt and […]
Abstract: Leveraging solar thermal energy to drive the chemical looping reforming of methane (CLRM) is a promising method of efficiently and selectively reforming methane to produce syngas using renewable energy. In this work, the role of catalytically active nickel in reaction kinetics, conversion, selectivity, and total syngas production during CLRM over Ni–CeO2 is investigated. Through thermogravimetric […]
Background: Concentrated solar thermal energy uses thermal energy storage. And China currently has 30 CSP projects under construction with thermal energy storage. Various options of energy storage are described in patented solutions in the field of solar energy. They include such technologies as those using latent heat, molten materials, compressed air, and chemical reactions. In […]
Solar energy record – 12 days, 24 hours a day In a solar energy record for round-the-clock power generation, Mongolia’s Wulate 100MW trough CSP project ran continuously for 12 days, generating pure solar energy without batteries; due to the thermal energy storage in CSP. (How Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) works). In a CSP plant, mirrors […]
SolarSteam was recently picked by Foresight Canada as one of the country’s most investable clean tech companies. The start-up uses concentrating solar thermal to produce hot water and steam for use by industrial and institutional clients that need to meet an initial 20% to 30% green energy target by 2030. “One of our recognitions was […]
1414 Degrees has reached a major milestone in the development of its SiBox Demonstration Module. Construction is almost complete, meaning that the company is now confident enough to move forward with the installation of its thermal energy storage media (silicon) and is expecting to be able to commission the demonstration module sometime shortly this […]
At the SolarPaces Conference 2022, we created a group to support women working in the Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) sector. Our goal is to attract and empower women at all levels to develop skills and expertise in the field of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and equip them to become leaders in accelerating the world’s energy […]
Abstract: Numerical modeling and simulation are necessary to design and optimize processes that include concentrating solar power (CSP) and industrial chemical processes; however, no co-simulation environment have been used or suggested in the literature for such plants. This paper suggests a promising approach to build a user-friendly simulation framework using open-source tools. DWSIM simulator was […]
Abstract: It is difficult to measure the concentrated solar radiation flux (CSRF) inside a cavity receiver directly due to the complex geometry of cavity receivers. At present, most reports measure the CSRF at the aperture plane (generally coinciding with the focal plane of solar concentrators) of the cavity receiver instead of at the absorber wall, […]
Abstract: High-temperature molten salt systems are employed in a wide variety of industrial applications, linked to energy production and storage, such as concentrated solar power, waste heat recovery, storage plants, fuel cells nuclear, etc. The reactivity of these salts is one of the main issues to address for the employment of affordable steels as […]
Abstract: This paper reports on the development of a hierarchical control strategy for a multi-generation solar plant. The plant includes a linear Fresnel reflector, an organic Rankine cycle, an absorption chiller, a thermal storage tank, circulation pumps, and valves. The hierarchical control strategy consists of three successive layers in addition to a wireless monitoring system. […]
Heliostat cost reduction is necessary to lower the cost of tower CSP. As many as 10,000 heliostats comprise the solar field.
Next year Solar Dynamics will demo a pilot project with solar thermal energy to dry biosolids to extract nitrogen to make fertilizer pellets
Read the full paper comparing Germany’s green industrial heat options at Science Direct Abstract This paper is based on a position paper of the German Industry Association Concentrated Solar Power e.V. to the German government and discusses options on how to decarbonize the heat demand of the domestic industry. Among other options, concentration solar collectors […]
With innovation in its core component – the volumetric absorber – the Open Volumetric Receiver (OVR) can reach 90% efficiency and beyond
The US DOE announces new 2023 solar technologies funding for early stage CSP/CST innovations
Published in the January Issue of Energy Conversion and Management Abstract The purpose of this paper is to study the performance of the steam methane reformer (SMR) using solar energy as a heat source using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. An analysis of the flow and heat transfer performance of scaled-up SMR with solar […]
Solar PV and CSP are the best suited renewables to drive MENA region synthetic fuel production potential at low cost
The solar furnace in Parkent, Uzbekistan will be used to recycle 50 tons of steel by the Swiss firm, Panatère in 2023
Source: El Pais (Google translated from French) Between the deposits of the road that leads to Rjim Maatoug, along the Algerian border and 120 kilometers from Kébili, in the south of Tunisia, only hydrocarbon tankers pass through in an incessant ballet. This area, where identical-looking towns are threaded together, bordered by a palm grove that […]
Liquid sodium heat transfer with magnesia thermal storage is ideally suited to high-temperature energy needs in industrial processes
The energy stored in 700 MW of Shanghai Electric’s trough tower CSP, once all units are operational, can generate power continuously for a maximum of 13.5 hours at night and 15 hours during periods of inclement weather. Source: Shanghai Electric for CSPFocus On November 29 (Dubai Time), the Trough Unit No. 1 facility of […]
20 MW Thermal Energy Storage Trials Hydroxide Molten Salt at the offshore energy island Bornholm Source: Recharge: Denmark’s ‘energy island’ of Bornholm is to host what is being claimed as “game changing” molten salts-based storage technology that its developer aims to deploy as a future large-scale source of renewable heat and power. Hyme Energy will […]
In Denmark, financing green district heat was not left to the whims of the market.
Source: Economia Digital The low price of the ministry and the uncertainty of connection delay the installation of a new solar thermal, which in 2025 should be double the current one according to the PNIEC. The generation of energy with solar thermal technology has been stuck for a decade in Spain. Not a single new […]
An assessment of the cost/benefit of each green heat technology is timely, as countries that were most heavily dependent on Russian gas must rapidly decarbonize heavy industry as gas supplies dwindle from over 40% to under 10% and rise in price from 20 to 140 euros per MWh. At the plenary of the 2022 SolarPACES […]
The average annual additional costs are ~0.62% of China’s GDP in 2020.
Email from CSP Focus China 2022, Nov 2&3 in Beijing The development of CSP is entering into a fast track in 2022 here in China. Within the Multi-Energy RE complexes combining with PV and/or Wind, CSP is playing a role as stabilizer and regulator, easing the power fluctuation and curtailment of PV and Wind, through […]
Press Release: Abengoa wins solar project of the year award for Noor 1 At Noor 1 Abengoa has been responsible for providing the technology, design, engineering of the HTF system, as well as the construction of the collectors for three parabolic trough plants (200 MW each) in the world’s largest solar complex: the Mohammed bin […]
“Our heliostat software works like human bodies work. We have eyes and eyes allow us to put our fingers in a very exact place with feedback.”
DOE Announces $24 Million Awards; $10.7 Million for Gen-3 CSP and $13.2 to Advance Concentrated Solar-Thermal Technologies for Industrial Decarbonization DOE also Releases Strategic Roadmap to Enhance Ability to Harness Solar Power, Lower Costs for Mirrors used in Concentrating Solar Power Plants WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released a new roadmap […]
Dr Avi Schultz Conference Chair Concentrating Solar Thermal Power Program Manager Solar Energy Technologies Office U.S. Department of Energy I’m excited to see you all in person in Albuquerque in less than two weeks, and launch the packed agenda we have for the SolarPACES conference. Kicking things off on Tuesday, September 27th, we’ll be welcomed […]
Source: CSPFocus September: Equipment Procurement Tenders- CGN New Energy Jilin 100MW CSP Project On September 2, Da’an Guangtou Zhongneng CSP Company issued a bidding announcement for the turbine generator set, steam generation system, solar concentration and heat collection system, cold salt pump, hot salt pump and thermoregulation pump of CGN New Energy Jilin 100MW CSP […]
Compared to other energy storage technologies, thermal energy storage has a huge advantage. It can be dropped-in to repurpose existing coal power plants by simply replacing the fuel, coal, with thermal energy storage to be charged with excess renewable energy from the grid, and discharged using nearly all of the components of the original […]
Much of the research covered at SolarPACES in concentrated solar power (CSP) is advanced by international post-docs and professors, but as the need for climate solutions advances, it is drawing the attention of younger researchers with STEM backgrounds in mathematics, physics and chemistry. During her BA in Germany, Isabell Reisch chose to create an algorithm […]
Press Release: Paving the way for solar fuels: Jülich, Germany, August 18, 2022 Synhelion has become the first company in the world to succeed in producing syngas on an industrial scale using only solar heat as an energy source. The Swiss solar fuel pioneer successfully demonstrated this on the multi-focus solar tower of the German […]
A “hot solar” tower fuel plant for thermochemical aviation fuel from H2O + CO2 is finally getting news coverage. What was your breakthrough?
A novel solar open air receiver is paired with a Brayton combined cycle power plant, combining these two technologies for the first time
[ED: All four projects follow China’s renewables scale-up plan of 1 GW renewables projects, where 100 MW of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is co-located with 900 MW of Photovoltaic (PV) in order to provide thermal energy storage, to extend the hours of solar generation past nightfall and to stabilize the grid in tandem as wind […]
(Montel) Spain plans to auction 520 MW of renewable energy capacity on 25 October amid its ongoing effort to curb carbon emissions. The auction will award 140 MW for photovoltaic projects below 5 MW, 220 MW for solar thermal, 140 MW for biomass and 20 MW for other technologies including biogas, bioliquids, hydropower or tidal […]
Particle-based Solar Energy Capture and Storage for Concentrated Solar Power Particle-based solar thermal energy storage (TES) coupled to concentrated solar power (CSP) is an attractive pathway towards operating at elevated temperatures while extending electricity production beyond diurnal periods of on-sun operation. Operation at elevated temperatures necessitates higher solar concentration ratios at MWth-scales that are only […]
July 18, 2022 Xinjiang: The Xinhua Power Generation Company held a groundbreaking ceremony, together with Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, celebrating the start of the firm’s 1 GW new solar energy project at Bozhou, located on the north side of G219 National Road west of Bole City at Aheqi Farm, Jinghe County in Xinjiang Province, China. […]
When SolarReserve proposed a 150 MW tower Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) power plant for Port Augusta, the firm was fresh off completing Crescent Dunes, the world’s first attempt at utility scale tower CSP with storage. The startup was unable to get funding to build the Port Augusta project, but it was fully developed: SolarReserve had […]
Press Release OAKLAND, Calif. – July 13, 2022 – TITAN Cement Group joins decarbonization and electrification investment leaders, Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Energy Impact Partners, in supporting Rondo Energy (“Rondo”) through its recent Series A financing round for the scale-up of its innovative “heat battery” technology, aiming to provide new solutions for decarbonizing power generation and […]
As of July 5, 2022, Cosin Solar’s pilot project the SUPCON Delingha 50MW Molten Salt Tower CSP Plant generated 755 MWh of electricity in a single day. With this latest single-day generating record, the plant has now achieved an annual record as well. In just 11 months, the plant has already generated its entire projected […]
In January this year, three of China’s provinces; Gansu, Qinghai and Jilin, already announced a combined total of 1.1 GW of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) projects for completion by 2024. These are already hiring EPCs and breaking ground. Now the province of Xinjiang has announced an additional 1.3 GW of CSP on its own, which […]
https://youtu.be/wdC5cXR-7M8 What is the current status of China’s CSP projects? Here Fengli Du of China Solar Thermal Alliance reveals the data on China’s CSP projects to date and underway in this webinar, hosted by SolarPACES Secretariat Christoph Richter, and now available online here. China has emerged as a key driver of the future of Concentrated […]
Zoom Webinar: Presentation of Blue Book of China’s CSP Industry 2021 Date and Time: June 27, 2022, 14:00-14:45 CEST (Central European Summer Time) Agenda: Opening: Christoph Richter, Executive Secretary SolarPACES Introductory Comments: Zhifeng Wang, Chairman of China Solar Thermal Alliance Presentation of Blue Book 2021: Fengli Du, Secretary of China Solar Thermal Alliance Q&A: Participants […]
Jinta County, Gansu Province: The Jinta Zhongguang Solar Energy 100 MW Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project has broken ground, meeting the initial construction milestone by beginning concrete work for the receiver tower foundation. This 100MW CSP project was originally part of the first round of China’s pilot projects back in 2016. But the developer failed […]
The Blue Book on China’s CSP Industry 2021 lays out current detail on the performance of the current Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) projects in China, and the scale-up plan as China increases its overall renewable energy percentage on the grid. The Blue Book includes very detailed information on the performance of all of the currently […]
Source: email from Sunny Sun; CSPFocus China Three Gorges New Energy has issued the bidding announcement on the EPC of two 100MW CSP projects, both are located in Qinghai province, northwest of China. According to the announcement (in Chinese), both projects are planned to start on July 1st 2022, and completed in full capacity by […]
Apply for the SolarPACES Awards The call for the prestigious SolarPACES Technology Innovation Award and the Lifetime Award is now open until July 31, 2022. The awards honor the personal engagement of individuals and institutions that significantly contribute to the deployment of CSP technology. Find all information on criteria, application process and award details here. Currently […]
[Ed: Their GlassPoint technology won the SolarPACES Technology Innovation Awardin 2016] From CSPFocus Saudi Arabia has signed an MOU with the California-based firm GlassPoint to build the world’s biggest solar thermal steam producing plant there. The facility will generate steam directly to make aluminum. Aluminum is used in such products as cars, computers, and cell […]
Replacing flexible gas before baseload coal is the EU’s new focus. This makes the case for the dispatchable solar; CSP much stronger.
Need for energy storage increases as China overshoots renewable deployment
Thermal energy storage is cheap but it’s expensive turning heat back into electricity. Rondo Energy instead proposes to sell the heat.
AIP, the American Institute of Physics, has published the SolarPACES 2020 conference proceedings, volume number 2445. (The 2020 SolarPACES Conference was held online during the pandemic.) All accepted papers are freely accessible on the AIP website and contain an ISBN number for the volume as well as individual DOI numbers for each paper. The proceedings […]
(From Utility Dive) Dive Brief: To help commercialize emerging energy storage that can power the grid for at least 10 hours, the Department of Energy has launched a $505 million four-year initiative. It aims to lower barriers to grid energy storage, and support small-scale, behind-the-meter pilots as well as large utility-scale demonstrations. DOE’s initiative, announced […]
Gearing up your company to capitalize on the utility-scale energy storage boom in the US A decarbonizing grid relying on variable renewable – solar PV and wind – for the lion’s share of the energy it integrates, will over time require energy services and increasingly rely on energy storage to maintain inertia and firmness. Whichever […]
In a new study from Sandia National Laboratories; The Value of Long-Duration Energy Storage: Policy and Perception, researchers have published details regarding policies pertaining to long-duration energy storage (LDES), including feedback from around 500 stakeholders. Respondents included representatives from utilities, governments, industry, academia, non-profits, and national labs. While for now, batteries are sufficient, the need […]
Source: Green Car Congress 06 May 2022 Perovskite materials may hold the potential to play an important role in a process to produce hydrogen in a renewable manner, according to an analysis from scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Hydrogen has emerged as an important carrier to store energy generated by renewable resources, as a […]
Solar Energy Technologies Office SolarPACES Conference Abstract Deadline Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems (SolarPACES) is the premier international conference for concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) research and development. In 2022 it will be hosted by the United States, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Researchers who wish to present at the conference must submit an extended abstract […]
At any one time, almost 3 tons of hot sand would be in free fall for about 5 seconds hitting the pile beneath at 60 meters a second
By the middle of the 21st century the global energy system will hopefully be very different, with clean energy, clean fuels and clean heat supporting a highly decarbonized future. It will require so many changes in how we have done these things so far, that we can barely imagine such a different world today. One […]
New energy installed capacity, accounting for 70.2% of total installed capacity, will comprise 34 GW, with wind power comprising 27 GW, photovoltaic 6.5 GW, and CSP 250 MW. Source: China National Solar Thermal Alliance According to the news from the Hami Financial Media Center on March 12, with the implementation of the “Xinjiang Electric Power […]
Known then as Supcon Solar, Cosin Solar developed two tower projects in China’s pilot CSP (Concentrated Solar Power) program; as technology and core equipment provider on PowerChina Gonghe 50MW tower CSP, and developing the Supcon Delingha 50MW tower CSP. These were two of the five tower CSP demonstration projects that succeeded in China’s pilot program. […]
Cosin Solar (previously Supcon Solar) seemed to burst on the global Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) scene as a fully fledged Chinese CSP firm. Among China’s pilot projects, the Supcon Delingha 50 MW tower CSP with 7 hours of storage in Qinghai Province was among the few to succeed in China’s pilot program. The project reached […]
IEA provides 10-Point Plan to European Union for reducing reliance on Russian supplies by over a third while supporting European Green Deal, with emergency options to go further Download image Do not sign any new gas supply contracts with Russia. [Impact: Enables greater diversification of supply this year and beyond] Replace Russian supplies with gas […]
SolarPACES 2022: First Announcement and Call for Papers SolarPACES (Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems) is pleased to announce the SolarPACES 2022 conference to be held from September 26 – 30, 2022, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. SolarPACES is the premier international network advancing research, development, and commercial deployment of concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) and related technologies. After two […]
Alumina calcination is one industrial process that could be decarbonized using a 1000°C “hot solar” process
Acwa Power’s Redstone project construction is well underway and is currently in its ninth month of construction, with commercial operation scheduled to start in Q4 2023. The engineering works for the project is over 58% completed, whereas procurement and construction works stand at over 45% and 6% respectively. A key construction milestone, tower foundation for […]
Previous post: Botswana Looking for Bids for 200 MW of CSP Interested independent power producers (IPPs) have until April 11th, 2022 to apply for the pre-qualification process for the construction of two thermodynamic solar power plants in Botswana. Botswana’s Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security has issued a call for expressions of interest from […]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) announced the Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power (CSP) Fiscal Year 2022 Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) funding program, which will award up to $25 million for innovative research and development projects in CSP technologies. These projects will accelerate the large-scale development and deployment of solar technologies. CSP technologies offer value as renewable energy resources that can […]
The SolarPACES Task IV:Solar Heat Integration in Industrial Processes advances international research into industrial processes requiring heat at up to about 500°C. But as solar research in processes requiring heat at up to 1,500°C is maturing, Task IV has now prepared Technology Briefs outlining the opportunities for very high temperature solar research for five industries […]
There aren’t many novel clean energy technologies that could also directly remove fossil energy plants. The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has created one. Long duration storage at grid scale is crucial to meeting climate targets. Solar PV and wind have the momentum to be a big part of the new energy economy, but […]
Namibia to follow Moroccan clean energy policy to cut CSP developer risk
The largest clean energy investor and developer in the world built the Three Gorges Dam China Three Gorges Renewables – the developer and builder of the 22.5 GW Three Gorges Dam in China – will develop three of China’s planned new 100 MW Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) tower projects, two in China’s sunny Qinghai province, […]
Could giant coal and nuclear developers build CSP? In China, yes
High wind loads increase structural design costs of concentrating solar power (CSP) collector structures, such as heliostats and parabolic troughs. In a new two-year project, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will work with the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) to conduct two comprehensive at-scale field measurements […]
Drone monitoring of solar fields is already established for photovoltaic solar. Now a new DLR spinoff – Volateq.de brings drone technology to the very different challenges of monitoring solar field performance, for concentrated solar power (CSP). “There’s a lot of lot of stuff that can go wrong in a CSP plant, components that can fail, […]
By making solar hydrogen as an industrial service for copper mining the scale is established for mass production
Yet another use for industrial solar heat – drying wastewater sludge – attracts study at six-minute solar collector maker Absolicon
Press Release: A consortium that comprises Vast Solar, CyD, Solar Dynamics, Alia Energy Consulting and Critical Engineering, has jointly developed Flexitank, a novel design for high temperature molten salt thermal energy storage tanks used in CSP and standalone thermal energy storage. The Flexitank solves a serious issue in the CSP industry. Due to the impacts […]
The Sun-to-Liquids project has been developed by a consortium integrated by the leading European solar research laboratories and CSP industry leaders: ETH Zurich, DLR, Bauhaus Luftfahrt, IMDEA Energy, HyGear Technology & Services B.V and Abengoa. The aim is to produce renewable transportation fuels from water and CO2 with solar energy: The first synthesis of solar […]
At the 2021 SolarPACES Conference, NamPower generation projects head Grant Muller laid out the national power company’s now finalized plans for a CSP project in Namibia, for between 50 MW and 130 MW, with storage. After 4 years of preparations, it is ready for its first CSP auction in 2022. The small African nation has […]
Biomass gasification using steam and oxygen is an already mature technology for extracting hydrogen, which requires heat at above 700°C. To generate the heat for gasification, traditionally, some of the biomass itself is burnt. But this combustion emits several greenhouse gases, which can be quite high, depending on the carbon and hydrogen content of the […]
A pair of policy researchers at Potsdam University’s Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in Germany have a suggestion for policy to advance high temperature Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) technologies. Today’s commercially operating Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is run at temperatures used in thermal electricity production and mid temperature industrial processes; 400°C to 600°C. But policy […]
A new paper to be published in the journal Energy Conversion and Management: X: Using Concentrating-Solar-Power Plants as Economic Carbon-Free Capacity Resources – develops an approach to assessing the capacity contribution from CSP plants with thermal energy storage in a future Southwestern US grid once there is a very high level of other renewables like […]
The Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2021 Photovoltaics and Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power Funding Program (SETO FY21 PV and CSP) funds research and development projects that advance PV and CSP to help eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector. On October 12, 2021, SETO announced that 40 projects were awarded $40 million. Twenty-five of those projects will receive almost $33 million to research and develop CSP technologies that help […]
At the annual SolarPACES Conference (held virtually for the second year) Cerro Dominador’s CEO Fernando Gonzalez answered questions from the international network of concentrated solar power (CSP) researchers and developers attending about exactly what happened in the recent Chilean energy auctions with the record-low bid for CSP at under $34/MWh. How Cerro Dominador bid a […]
At the 101st Ex-Co meeting held October 4th, 2021, PROMES-CNRS Research Director Gilles Flamant was elected as new Chair of the SolarPACES Executive Committee for the next 4-year term. Flamant is an internationally recognized expert in solar thermochemistry who holds 10 patents, has authored or co-authored approximately 300 peer reviewed publications in international scientific journals, authored 10 […]
IEA report calls for the development of national hydrogen strategies and roadmaps, new incentives for low-carbon hydrogen, and new certification requirements alongside increased research and infrastructure spending. Source: Utility Dive Dive Brief: Global electrolyzer capacity for producing hydrogen could reach up to 89 GW by 2030 thanks in part to $37 billion in government spending […]
Spain to launch a third renewable auction – to include Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) – before the end of 2021 October 4, 2021: The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge plans to launch a third renewable auction before the end of the year. According to the Secretary of State for Energy, Sara Aagesen, […]
DLR and CSP Services Win the SolarPACES 2021 Award for their Solar Flux Density Measurement System. New measuring system determines the flux density of receivers in solar tower power plants This year’s SolarPACES Technology Award goes to a team of researchers from the DLR Institute of Solar Research and CSP Services. The measurement method they […]
Have advances in heliostat mirror solar fields enabled record low prices in Morocco and Dubai and low bids like for Likana in Chile?
To expand internationally with its high temperature solar fuels, Synhelion now acquires high temperature solar field experts Heliokon
Out-of-this-world engineering challenges of manufacturing on the Moon hold promise for Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST)
Seramic Materials 100% recycled ceramic stores heat at temperatures up to 1250°C for thermal energy storage or high temperature CST processes
Source: CSP Focus A 3,300 MW solar project in Quinghai Province in China will combine both types of solar; PV and CSP with thermal energy storage, with total investment of 19.575 billion CNY (3 billion USD). The planned total installed capacity is 3.3GW, including 3GW PV, 300MW CSP (600 MW electric heating molten salt thermal […]
