In a parabolic trough CSP system, the sun''s energy is concentrated by parabolically curved, trough-shaped reflectors onto a receiver pipe running along about a meter above the curved surface of the mirrors. The temperature of the heat transfer fluid flowing through the tube, usually thermal oil, is increased from 293ºC to 393ºC, and the heat energy is then used to generate electricity in a conventional steam generator.
A collector field comprises multiple parabolic trough-shaped mirrors in parallel rows aligned to enable single-axis trough-shaped mirrors to track the sun from east to west during the day to ensure that the sun is continuously focused on the receiver pipes. As of 2018, 90% of the CSP in commercial operation is trough. Trough deployment database.
Power tower or central receiver systems utilize sun-tracking mirrors called heliostats to focus sunlight onto a receiver at the top of a tower. A heat transfer fluid heated in the receiver up to around 600ºC is used to generate steam, which, in turn, is used in a conventional turbine generator to produce electricity.See the SolarPACES-NREL database of global CSP Tower deployment
Similar to the long arrays of a parabolic trough CSP system, a Linear concentrating collector field consists of many collectors in parallel rows. These are typically aligned in a north-south orientation to maximize annual and summer energy collection. The mirrors are laid flat on the ground and reflect the sunlight to the pipe above. Like trough and tower CSP, Fresnel CSP can also incorporate storage in a power block or generate steam for direct use. Fresnel deployment database.
A Parabolic dish system consists of a parabolic-shaped point focus concentrator in the form of a dish that reflects solar radiation onto a receiver mounted at the focal point. These concentrators are mounted on a structure with a two-axis tracking system to follow the sun. The collected heat is typically utilized directly by a heat engine mounted on the receiver moving with the dish structure. Stirling and Brayton cycle engines are currently favored for power conversion. Dish deployment database.
Solar fuels are made using thermochemistry driven by direct heat from the sun In this process, solar thermal energy provides the heat for thermochemical reactions to produce new compounds such as green hydrogen or sustainable aviation fuel. Highly concentrated solar...
Here''s what dispatchable solar looks like. This gigantic solar thermal energy storage tank holds enough stored sunlight to generate 1,100 MWh/day from stored solar power. The cheapest way to store solar energy over many hours, such as the five to seven hour evening...
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Concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems have many components that help convert sunlight into usable energy. In CSP plants, mirrors reflect and concentrate sunlight onto a focused point or line where it is collected and converted into heat, which can be stored and used to produce electricity or deliver the heat to an industrial process whenever it is needed. CSP systems are the integrated collection of the many different processes and components required to collect, convert, store, and deliver solar-thermal heat. Learn more about how CSP works.
Examining and analyzing CSP systems in their entirety can identify areas of improvement that will lower the cost and improve the value of the delivered energy. This is particularly important for new CSP designs, like high-temperature ''Gen3 CSP.'' The complexity of these systems requires system designers to optimize the performance of all of the different plant components together, to be able to achieve SETO''s goals. Conducting CSP systems research enables CSP technologies to develop sophisticated roadmaps to be competitive with other dispatchable power generators. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) set a cost goal of $0.05 per kilowatt-hour for baseload CSP plants, with 12 or more hours of thermal energy storage. Learn more about SETO''s CSP goals.
In October 2021, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)published a DOE-fundedpublicly accessible digital CSP archive. SNL solar researchers and librarians collected, digitized, and cataloged a host of historical CSP research documents, including reports, memos, blueprints, photos, and more. Sharing this information can help make the technology more accessible and the path to commercialization faster by preventing new researchers and companies from having to reinvent the wheel.
SETO funds projects that focus on designing, optimizing, and analyzing CSP systems as a whole, including the design of fully integrated high-temperature thermal transport systems that consist of receivers, thermal storage and transport, and primary heaters. These key components vary depending on the matter used for heat transfer. Several of SETO''s funding programs have projects that focus on CSP systems:
To view specific CSP systems projects, search the Solar Energy Research Database.
Learn more about CSP research, other solar energy research in SETO, and current and former SETO funding programs.
Working with member countries,SolarPACES—Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems—has compiled data on concentrating solar power (CSP) projects around the world. CSP technologies include parabolic trough, linear Fresnel reflector, power tower, and dish/engine systems.
For individual concentrating solar power projects, you will find profiles that include background information, a listing of participants in the project, and data on the power plant configuration.
These pages should help utilities, financiers, manufacturers, and anyone interested in renewable-energy options to find information on the growing number of concentrating solar power projects around the world.
You can browse project profiles under the following categories:
You can alsodownloadcomma-delimited data on all projects.
TheNational Renewable Energy Laboratory''s CSP Programassists SolarPACES in maintaining the projects database behind this Web site. Project operators or developers supply information for the key data fields for their projects. SolarPACES experts then review the information to ensure accuracy and completeness.
SolarPACES, an international program of the International Energy Agency, furthers collaborative development, testing, and marketing of concentrating solar power plants. Activities include testing large-scale systems and developing advanced technologies, components, instrumentation, and analysis techniques.
Founded in 1977, SolarPACES now has 19 members: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, European Commission (DG RESEARCH & INNOVATION and DG ENERGY), France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and United States of America.
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These technologies capture sunlight to produce heat that drives today''s conventional thermoelectric generation systems or future advanced generation systems. The unique feature of CSP is the ability to store heated material in an inexpensive and efficient thermal energy storage system. The stored thermal energy can be tapped between sunset and sunrise or during cloudy weather to provide renewable electricity on demand addition to providing electricity, CSP technologies are also moving into emerging markets that include process heat, solar fuels, and desalination.
NREL plays a critical role in CSP research by coupling a wide range of capabilities, supported by facilities and tools, with an expert staff having almost 200 person-years of CSP-related experience. The bottom line is that NREL''s technical resources and experts cover the breadth of capabilities valued by the CSP community.
We collaborate with a host of companies and institutions, both domestically and internationally, in various work arrangements (see Work With Us).
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