Tue, 16 November, 2021
Derek Baker, the Institutional Principal Investigator for the Horizon 2020 GeoSmart Project, presented at the Sisecam 36th Glass Symposium on 12 November 2021. His presentation was an ‘Overview of Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) Technologies and Applications.’
Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) is an umbrella term covering diverse technologies that are typically classified using four concentrating geometry categories and four application categories. Two concentrating geometries are "Point Focus" (Parabolic Dish and Central Receiver) and two are "Line Focus" (Parabolic Trough and Linear Fresnel). Each geometry has advantages and disadvantages, and the "best" geometry depends on the application.
The four main applications are Solar Thermal Electricity (STE) / Concentrating Solar Power (CSP), Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP), Solar Fuels (e.g. H2), and Solar Water Treatment and Desalination (Solar4Water). Among these, STE/CSP is the most mature and, when combined with Thermal Energy Storage (TES), is the low-cost solution to deliver dispatchable solar electricity during times of peak demand or at night. Both SHIP and Solar Fuels markets are largely undeveloped but have very large growth potentials due to the global need for cost-effective solutions to decarbonise the industrial and transport sectors.
Solar4Water markets are also largely undeveloped and have large growth potential due to the largest end-use of water being irrigation, and the potential for Solar4Water technologies to produce irrigation water in the quite common regions where agriculture, solar resources, and water scarcity are co-located. CST opportunities for the glass industry include as a supplier of value-added glass products (e.g. reflective materials and low-iron glass), using SHIP to decarbonise glass production processes, and potentially being a supplier of CST components (e.g. complete linear receiver tubes) and systems (e.g. complete collectors).
The presentation was well-received on the day of the virtual event, with over 250 people logging in to watch live.
The GeoSmart project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 818576