Concentrated Solar Power

Though still in the prototype stage, EMPA is currently looking for commercial partners to assist in creating a compact version of the system for household domestic use

Environment

New technique stores summer heat until it's needed in winter

Swiss researchers have created a system that stores heat captured during summer for use in winter, with the added benefit that the captured energy can be physically transported anywhere it may be needed.

A new coating material developed by UCSD researchers could help make concentrated solar power (CSP) plants more efficient (Photo: Shutterstock)

Environment

Nanoparticle-based material turns up the heat on concentrated solar power

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have developed a new nanoparticle-based material that promises to improve the efficiency of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants with its ability to absorb and convert over 90 percent of the sunlight it captures into heat.

Equipped with an array of multi-junction photovoltaic chips, each of the IBM "sunflowers" can supply the energy needs of several homes (Image: Airlight Energy/dsolar)

Environment

IBM "sunflowers" to supply off-grid energy, water, and cooling

Looking rather like a 10-meter (33 ft) tall sunflower, IBM's High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT) system can produce enough power, water, and cooling to supply several homes.

A large, distributed network of concentrated solar power plants in desert regions could run at 80 percent full capacity year round (Photo: Shutterstock)

Environment

CSP plants could run at 80 percent capacity (or better) throughout the year

According to a new study, a large network of concentrated solar power plants in two of the world's deserts would be able to consistently run at 80 percent or more of maximum capacity throughout the year regardless of time of day, season, or weather conditions.

IBM is developing an affordable High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT) system that uses cooling technology from supercomputers to harvest solar energy and produce drinkable water

Environment

IBM applies supercomputer cooling to solar collector for 80% efficiency

IBM is developing an affordable High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT) system that uses cooling technology from supercomputers to harvest solar energy and produce drinkable water.

The Shams 1 concentrated solar power plant covers and area of 2.5 square km (1 sq mile)

Environment

World’s largest concentrated solar power plant opens in the UAE

The 100 MW Shams 1 opened this week in the UAE to become the world's largest operating concentrated solar power (CSP) plant.