Working with member countries, SolarPACES—Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems—has compiled data on concentrating solar power (CSP) projects around the world that have plants that are either operational, under construction, or under development. CSP technologies include parabolic trough, linear Fresnel reflector, power tower, and dish/engine systems. For individual concentrating [...]
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 substitute for [...]
Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) projects would add additional value of 5 or 6 cents per kilowatt hour to utility-scale solar energy in California where 33 percent renewables will be mandated in six years, a new report by the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has found. The report, "Estimating the [...]
The U.S. Department of Energy is funding research to get the cost of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) down to $0.05 per kWh. One key element of that research is the materials used to absorb and store the heat energy. Three categories of materials are being looked at: liquid (i.e. molten [...]
When it comes to concentrating solar power (CSP) research, Mark Mehos has seen the industry growth and solar boom firsthand. Mark Mehos has pioneered thermal systems research at NREL and worldwide since 1986. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL CSP technologies—capturing sunlight to produce heat that drives thermoelectric generation systems—had their [...]
Concentrating solar power (CSP) has long held promise as a renewable energy technology. To spur CSP industry advancement and achieve an energy cost goal of 5 cents per kWh, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Gen3 CSP program is funding research to explore the potential of several heat transfer mediums. [...]
Concentrating solar power (CSP) has long held promise as a renewable energy technology. CSP uses mirrors, or heliostats, to harness the power of the sun by heating and storing an inexpensive medium such as sand, rocks, or molten salt for on-demand energy dispatch. To spur CSP industry advancement and achieve [...]
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 [...]
Improved receiver design is part of company’s technical roadmap, pushing up the performance curve while maintaining world-leading low cost. Hyperlight Energy, a developer of Hylux™, the world’s lowest-cost concentrated solar power (CSP) technology, today announced that it has signed an exclusive license agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National [...]
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 [...]
Integrated Hydrogen Sensor/Separation Module Provides Long-Term Boosts in Efficiency and Revenue in Solar Power Plants. NREL and Acciona Solar Power Develop Technology To Reverse Costly Effects of Hydrogen Buildup in Concentrating Solar Power Receiver Fields. Since the mid-'80s, concentrating solar power (CSP) plants have generated clean energy to power [...]
Concentrated solar power is facing its biggest opportunity in years with an important new tool at its disposal. As Spain considers procuring 5 gigawatts of CSP, the largest amount ever tendered, the sector is looking to avoid mistakes with a highly detailed best-practices guide. The Concentrating Solar Power Best Practices Study, published [...]
One conundrum for the two main Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technologies is how to be both bankable and efficient. Parabolic trough CSP is often considered more bankable, while central tower plants are more efficient. Trough technology is about a decade older than tower and has built up experienced supply chains, [...]
