Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)
Crescent Dunes Visit During CSP Today
24 May 2013POSTED IN Applications News
Attendees of the conference, CSP Today USA 2013, (26-27 June, Las Vegas, Nevada) will be given a unique opportunity to visit SolarReserve’s Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project on 28 June, a 110MW molten salt power tower plant currently under construction near Tonopah, Nevada.
“Best Yet” Battery Design to Stabilise Solar Power for Grid
05 May 2013POSTED IN Research
Researchers from the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University developed a simplified, highly scalable new battery design with significantly higher energy density that could stabilise the power output of alternative forms of energy, such as solar. As potential solution to notorious power fluctuation issues, the low-cost, long-life flow battery could thus enable solar energy to become a major supplier to the electrical grid.
IBM Develops Economical Sunflower CPV System
29 April 2013POSTED IN Research
IBM’s solar concentrator system — called an economical High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT) system — could revolutionise solar energy. Mounted on innovative concrete solar trackers, the sunflower-inspired parabolic dish uses a multitude of mirror facets to concentrate sunlight onto several microchannel-liquid cooled receivers with photovoltaic converter chips. Scientists are hoping to develop an affordable photovoltaic system that can collect and convert 75–80% of the incoming solar radiation into energy.
Update on Value of Concentrated Solar Power
24 April 2013POSTED IN Applications News
Researchers from the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have calibrated the significant value that concentrating solar power (CSP) plants can add to an electric grid.
19th SolarPACES International Conference
POSTED IN Events CalendarThe SolarPACES 2013 will take place from September 17-20, 2013 in Las Vegas, USA.
SolarPACES is the foremost symposium for the who's who in concentrating solar power and chemical energy systems. It offers a forum for industry, research, politics and financing stakeholders within the framework of a scientific conference programme with leading world experts.
The conference will offer in depth:
- Insight into new developments in technology, politics, the market and financing presented by top experts in the field;
- A scientific conference programme with leading world experts and particular emphasis on recent research results;
- A forum for industry, research, politics and financing stakeholders to discuss the future of concentrating solar energy.
www.solarpaces2013.solarpaces.org
SolarReserve Expands to Latin America
18 April 2013POSTED IN Business News
SolarReserve, a US-based solar energy developer; today announced the company's international expansion into the Latin American region through the opening of its office in Santiago, Chile.
CSP Today USA 2013
POSTED IN Events CalendarIn 2013 leading CSP developers, EPC groups, technology providers, manufacturers and those at the forefront of R&D will meet to discuss the steps the entire value chain must take to make CSP competitive, and how you can prove the value of your CSP technology to key stakeholders to develop!
www.csptoday.com/usa/?utm_source=SNT&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=pr&utm_campaign=SNT%2Bpr
MENASOL 2013
POSTED IN Events CalendarMENASOL 2013 (5th Middle East & North Africa Solar Conference & Expo) is the leading solar event in the Middle East and North Africa region. As 2 conferences in one, covering CSP and PV, MENASOL will help solve your critical challenges and connect you to local decision-makers to secure a sustainable MENA pipeline. You will meet over 300 top attendees and answer your biggest MENA questions.
CSP Today South Africa 2013: Industry Leaders Tackle Challenges
01 February 2013POSTED IN Business News
Experts throughout the global CSP industry will tackle the financial, technical and infrastructural challenges unique to South Africa, and the key lessons learned in Rounds I and II of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP) at CSP Today South Africa 2013, 4-5 February at the Southern Sun Hotel in Pretoria.
Spain Invests in US Solar Under Obama’s Leadership
21 January 2013POSTED IN Politics and Policy News
Spanish companies have invested billions of dollars in American solar energy since US President Barack Obama has been in office, The Huffington Post reports.
Obama was sworn in for a second term yesterday, 20 January, and will give his inaugural address today.
Potassium Calcium Nitrate Promising for CSP Heat Storage
18 December 2012POSTED IN Research
The Norwegian company Yara International has identified a new grade of potassium calcium nitrate with promising thermal properties and innovated a second-generation molten salt specifically for heat storage and transfer applications at concentrated solar power (CSP) plants.
Ripasso Energy, Titan Tracker Achieve 32% Efficiency
04 December 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Titan Tracker for parabolic dish concentrator has been used in Ripasso Energy’s concentrated solar power (CSP) plant and Stirling power converter in Upington, South Africa, the companies have announced.
During the plant’s initial operation, a new solar-grid-quality-electricity efficiency world record of 32% has been achieved for a 30kW converter, according to Ripasso Energy.
Bearings are Key Components in CSP Plant Design
03 December 2012POSTED IN Applications Features
The Concentrated Solar Plant (CSP) market is expected to increase in output from 2 to 4 gigawatts (GW) per annum in a few years. To meet the on-going demand for energy, it is crucial to continually enhance the longevity of a CSP plant. The small parts that make up these large plants help to keep the applications maintenance free, long lasting, and moving efficiently, extending overall facility life and productivity.
Thermocline System Provides Cheap, Efficient Solar Energy Storage
27 November 2012POSTED IN Research
Researchers at the University of Arkansas in the US set out to invent an efficient and economical energy storage system that would improve the overall efficiency of solar thermal plants. The team has developed a thermocline solar energy storage system that stores absorbed heat at 93.9% efficiency and a material cost of only $0.78 US per kWh.
PPG’s Heat-Strengthened 2mm Glass for Solar
27 November 2012POSTED IN New Products
PPG Industries’ flat glass business has announced that it can now manufacture heat-strengthened glass in thicknesses of less than 3mm.
Desertec Project Waits for Spain’s Approval
09 November 2012POSTED IN Politics and Policy News
Government representatives from Morocco, France, Italy, Malta and Luxembourg have signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany for a first Desertec cooperation project between EU member states and Morocco. The agreement, however, has been postponed due to the absence of Spain.
Rural Development with Renewables
29 October 2012POSTED IN Editors Blogs
Rural areas attract a large portion of the deployment of renewable energies. But do they really benefit from it? Using case studies assessing 16 rural regions in Europe, Canada and United States, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) has investigated this in a two year on-field research project. Solar Novus Today Senior Editor Andreas Breyer has asked Raffaele Trapasso, Economist with the OECD Rural Development Program and author of the OECD report titled “Linking Renewable Energy to Rural Development” about the major results and the role of solar energy herein.
BrightSource Raises $80 Million of Additional Equity Financing
25 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
Concentrating solar thermal company BrightSource Energy today announced it has raised more than $80 million in additional equity financing.
This brings BrightSource’s total equity financing to more than $615 million and positions the company for significant international growth.
SkyFuel Wins 2012 SolarPaces Technology Award
19 September 2012POSTED IN Business News
SkyFuel, Inc. was honoured with the 2012 Technology Award at the annual SolarPaces Conference, held on 11-14 September 2012 in Marrakech, Morocco. The award was won for the development of ReflecTechPlus—a high-reflectance, durable, silvered polymer film designed to reduce the lifecycle cost of parabolic-trough solar fields. ReflecTechPlus has proven to be durable outdoors for more than 30 years and incorporates an abrasion-resistant coating. The film was developed by ReflecTech, Inc. in collaboration with the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Areva Solar, US Sandia Labs Join Forces for CLFR Molten-Salt Storage
12 September 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Areva Solar is collaborating with US Sandia National Laboratories on a new concentrated solar power (CSP) installation with thermal energy storage. The CSP storage project combines Areva’s modular Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) solar design with Sandia Labs’ proven molten-salt storage system. This will be the first CSP integration with Sandia Labs’ Molten-Salt Test Loop System located at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Solar Thermal Test Facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico (US).
