How Turbulent Winds Can Increase Efficiency in Concentrated Solar Power

Most people have seen solar photovoltaic panels mounted on rooftops or lined up across sunny fields, but fewer people are as familiar with concentrating solar power (CSP). This form of solar power uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a receiver filled with fluid. The sunlight heats the fluid, producing energy, which can be used to generate …

Promising Test Results for Molten Salts in Trough Concentrated Solar Power

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, making it more bankable, which …

Industry Shares its Experience to Advance Next Generation Concentrated Solar Power

Engineers generally tend to be solutions-oriented, and engineers in Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) are no different. A history of making things better than they were is why we now have advanced technologies. As Hal Harvey, founder of Energy Innovation told the NYT opinion columnist Tom Friedman: “A prime difference between the Enlightenment and the Dark …

U.S. unveils global Concentrated Solar Power learnings

The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) published June 12 the world’s first global best practice report for Concentrated Solar Power plants. The report sets out recommendations to improve the performance and reliability of Concentrating Solar Power tower and trough plants, using feedback from 80% of global CSP capacity. Many of the problems faced by …