The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) provides access to debt capital for high-impact energy and manufacturing projects. Over more than a decade, LPO has developed a strong understanding of what makes a project more likely to advance through...
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The Future Is Bright for Turning Sunlight Into Sustainable Jet Fuel
Source: Bloomberg/Lufthansa The Challenge The aviation sector has charted a course to decarbonize itself – and investors see opportunity. According to BNEF, startups with a focus on low-carbon aviation technology raised $4.6 billion in 2022, and another $1.21 billion...
Published at Journal of Solar Engineering – Compilation of a Solar Mirror Materials Database and an Analysis of Natural and Accelerated Mirror Exposure and Degradation
Abstract: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been conducting exposure experiments on solar reflectors for over four decades. Thousands of mirror samples from over one hundred suppliers have been exposed to and monitored in a range of relevant...
Published at Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews – Phase change material (PCM) candidates for latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) in concentrated solar power (CSP) based thermal applications – A review
Abstract: Solar energy offers over 2,945,926 TWh/year of global Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) potential, that can be used to substitute fossil fuels in power generation and mitigate 2.1 GtCO2 of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission to support Sustainable Development Goals...
Published at Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews – Massive grid-scale energy storage for next-generation concentrated solar power: A review of the potential emerging concepts
The cost of renewable energy has significantly decreased in recent years, which marks the way towards a fully renewable and sustainable future. However, this energy transition is not possible without massive grid-scale energy storage technology since most of the...
Published at Journal of Cleaner Production – Sustainable assessment of an integrated energy system coupled with solar thermochemical cycle
Abstract The energy transition globally makes the development of carbon-free and low-carbon fuels obligatory as these fuels cannot only be utilized as energy carriers but also for long-term energy storage. This paper presents the energy, technoeconomic, and...
Published at Energy Conversion and Management – Thermodynamic and economic analysis of a multi-energy complementary distributed CCHP system coupled with solar thermochemistry and active energy storage regulation process
Abstract: The combination of distributed energy systems (DES) and solar energy is considered a vital measure to save the usage of fossil energy. A new distributed combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system integrated with solar thermochemistry (STC) and energy...
Published at Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells – Erosion wear analysis of heat exchange surfaces in a falling particle-based concentrating solar power system
Abstract: Next generation concentrating solar power (CSP) plants that use solid particles as the heat transfer and storage medium provide opportunities for higher temperature operation, higher efficiency, and lower levelized cost. However, falling particles over...
US releases rule ensuring only green hydrogen gets $3/kg tax credit
Source: Hydrogen Insight The US government has finally unveiled its long-awaited proposed rules on clean hydrogen production, determining the criteria that developers will have to meet in order to qualify for the hydrogen tax credit of up to $3 per kilogram. The...
Published at Solar Energy – Numerical analysis of wind-induced convective heat losses in large-scale open volumetric cavity receivers and the evaluation of countermeasures
Abstract: This study investigates the wind influence on the operation of an open volumetric cavity receiver (OVR) designed with a tower height of approximately 200m and a total thermal power of 240MW�ℎ. The receiver design incorporates an air return system where parts...
Another standalone thermal energy storage tech – the Heatcube
Why standalone thermal energy storage has heated up It became apparent as CSP was commercialized that the low cost and durability of the thermal energy storage was its key advantage. Thermal energy storage makes it possible to deliver solar around the clock by storing...
Published at Journal of Cleaner Production – Salinity impacts on a unique desalination system embedded with concentrated solar energy for cleaner production
Abstract: This research comprehensively analyzed a unique solar desalination unit that operates on concentrated solar energy. The analysis primarily focused on evaluating three crucial components: the condenser, flash chamber, and brine heater. Testing was initially...
Published at Renewable Energy – Techno-economic assessment of concentrated solar power generation in Saudi Arabia
Abstract: Saudi Arabia plans to shift a large portion of its domestic energy production away from fossil fuel towards solar energy by 2030. Yet, the solar energy pool is mainly targeting photovoltaic technology. This study analyzes the potential of cleaner energy...
Published at Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis – Biochar pyrolyzed with concentrated solar radiation for enhanced nitrate adsorption
Abstract: Biochar has been recognized as an effective soil amendment for reducing nitrogen leaching in agriculture, but its large-scale implementation is impeded by the costly production process due to high energy requirements for thermal decomposition of feedstock....
Published at International journal of Hydrogen Energy – H2 producing hybrid solar thermochemical ZnSO4/ZnO water splitting cycle: Thermodynamic efficiency analysis
Abstract: This investigation reports the thermodynamic efficiency analysis of a hybrid ZnSO4/ZnO water-splitting cycle. The data required for efficiency calculations are gathered from HSC Chemistry Software. The prime goal is to examine the effects of the thermal...
Published at Energy Reports – Chemical and thermal performance analysis of a solar thermochemical reactor for hydrogen production via two-step WS cycle
Abstract: Ceria-based H2O/CO2-splitting solar-driven thermochemical cycle produces hydrogen or syngas. Thermal optimization of solar thermochemical reactor (STCR) improves the solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency. This research presents two conceptual designs and...
GlassPoint redesign directly heats storage, cutting solar steam cost 30%
Press Release: GlassPoint Unveils Technology Advancements Reducing Solar Steam Costs by 30% The new "Unify" storage system and redesigned structure enable lower-cost, zero-carbon, 24/7 industrial heat for the only solar steam solution proven at scale NEW YORK,...
India’s next renewables tender carves out 50% for CSP
In the first quarter of 2024, India plans to put out a tender for renewable energy that includes not just a carve-out, but the largest ever, requiring over 50% to be supplied by Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), the thermal form of solar electricity. There is renewed...
Published at Solar Energy – Investigation of physico-mechanical, thermal properties and solar thermoregulation performance of shape-stable attapulgite based composite phase change material in foam concrete
Abstract Thermal energy storage (TES) by means of phase change materials (PCM) is of great concern to decrease heating and cooling loads. In building envelopes, one of the most efficient TES methods is integration of PCMs with construction materials for preventing...
Published at Solar Energy – A feasibility study on the application of mesh grids for heliostat wind load reduction
Abstract This study examines the effectiveness of mesh grids in heliostat field perimeter fences and edge-mounted devices for heliostat wind load reduction. Two experimental studies were conducted: (1) the effect of mesh porosity and non-dimensional longitudinal...
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