Solar Thermal

[solarant2010]

I am especially interested in knowing the advances in storage for solar thermal (Concentrated solar power - CSP). If one were to achieve much better storage systems, it could result in larger CUFs for CSP and at the same time make CSP more baseload compatible.

I keep hearing about incremental advances in molten salt storage technologies for CSP, but is there any breakthrough, gamechanging technology round the corner in this domain?

Solarant @ Energy Alternatives India

[Mark W]

Hi Solarant
We have spent a lot of time developing a high power parabolic system that is inexpensive to manufacture, we did this 2 years ago, we were looking at it for either directly topping up the heat within a heating system and or heating domestic hot water, but as you mentioned the storage problems do mount up, storing your heat in salt can work but remember the hotter you store it, the more the losses, plus it will set hard if it gets cold, some big systems keep the pipes hot so they can pump it as the working fluid.
We have looked at many ways of storing the excess heat that could be used at a later time, even if you are using rocks, or oil it is still the cost of the insulation. but this would be a good topic if anyone else has any good ideas on how to store the excess heat.

[danykLondon]

Solar Thermal projects

Great new site include all Solar Thermal projects, companies, professionals and opportunities.

also include other renewable energy sectors such as solar energy projects and wind power projects

[MonsieurM]

I don't know if you guys checked out this website but i think it pertains to molten salt container, it is an open source project:

Archimedes - A opem source hybrid thermal solar collector



couple this with Peter KINLEY TWO-STAGE SOLAR CONCENTRATING SYSTEM or similar concentrator set up

An improved solar concentrating system (100) uses a two-stage arrangement of mirrors wherein the rays of the sun are reflected and concentrated to a point focus. The solar concentrator ( 100) may be used to increase the temperature of a substance such as metal, for use in a variety of applications including the melting of metals in a foundry furnace. The solar concentrating system (100) comprises at least two single-curved parabolic mirrors (10, 20) connected in an operable arrangement. The rays of the sun are reflected from a first single-curved parabolic mirror ( 10) to a second single-curved parabolic mirror (20). The plane of symmetry of the second single-curved parabolic mirror is arranged substantially orthogonal to the plane of symmetry of the first single-curved parabolic mirror thereby concentrating the rays of the sun to a point focus.