NREL researcher Craig Turchi soaks up the sunshine along the banks of the Gunnison River in Colorado. Turchi is the manager of the Thermal Energy Science and Technologies group in NREL's Center for Energy Conversion and Storage Systems. His love for nature led him to work in solar technologies after completing his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at North Carolina State University. At NREL, his work has focused on a range of issues in concentrating solar technologies, from systems analysis to reducing water use at concentrating solar power plants in desert environments. Photo from Craig Turchi
Turchi’s Years at a Tech Startup Gave Him a Savvy Outlook on Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Systems Analysis and Innovation Honesty is the best policy, and from his early days at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Craig Turchi embraced that policy in his work as a chemical engineer in … [continued]
Solar fuels are beginning to support the economic case for concentrating solar power plants, which produce high heat by focusing sunlight on a transfer medium.
In an innovative step forward, RayGen of Australia has combined concentrated solar with utilization of waste heat (through the Rankine cycle) to create cost-effective long-duration energy storage (LDES). I’ll do my best to explain, but if you prefer moving pictures, you can watch the video here. RayGen is touting its … [continued]
Illustration of the new micro-CPV system under development for electricity generation in countries with high direct solar irradiance as well as for agrivoltaics. Image courtesy of Fraunhofer ISE
Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) could once again become an economically attractive and high-efficient PV technology for regions with high direct solar irradiance. To leverage its advantages, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and Soltec have partnered to develop a prototype of a two-axis tracker which is designed to smoothly integrate … [continued]
Global temperatures have broken long-standing records over the last month. Local utility companies have been in constant contact with their customers, offering small hints about energy conservation. Extreme heat generally translates into high electricity demand, and that can lead to rolling blackouts or outages that leave thousands without electricity. In … [continued]
Casella Family Brands’ new solar facility in Yenda, NSW powered by Trina Solar modules + tracker. Image Credit: Casella Family Brands, photography by Vince Bucello.
The green revolution is accelerating in Athens! By 2026, the city hopes to have ten times as many electric taxis on the road as there currently are. There are currently 13,661 taxis in Athens, and only 100 of them are electric. In solar news, a ramp-up of solar module production … [continued]
A new solar thermal trap can help pave the way for compact, efficient concentrating solar systems to decarbonize heavy industries.
Concentrating solar power has had a tough time gaining traction in the US, but Texas could be a hotspot for new, next-gen CSP technology.
On January 22, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) issued a request for information (RFI) to better understand technology development needs and commercialization opportunities for receivers and reactors used in concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants for electricity generation and concentrating solar-thermal (CST) plants for … [continued]
New performance-enhancing heliostat tracking software for concentrating solar power plants wins third-party validation.
New heliostat tracking software aims to pump up the performance of concentrating solar power plants, giving them an edge over fossil fuels.
