What is concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) technology and how does it work? CSP technologies use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto a receiver. The energy from the concentrated sunlight heats a high temperature fluid in the receiver.
This heat - also known as thermal energy - can be used to spin a turbine or power an engine to generate electricity. It can also be used in a variety of industrial applications, like water desalination, enhanced oil recovery, food processing, chemical production, and mineral processing.
Concentrating solar-thermal power systems are generally used for utility-scale projects. These utility-scale CSP plants can be configured in different ways. Power tower systems arrange mirrors around a central tower that acts as the receiver. Linear systems have rows of mirrors that concentrate the sunlight onto parallel tube receivers positioned above them.
Smaller CSP systems can be located directly where power is needed. For example, single dish/engine systems can produce 5 to 25 kilowatts of power per dish and be used in distributed applications.
Learn more about:
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Linear concentrating solar power (CSP) collectors capture the sun's energy with large mirrors that reflect and focus the sunlight on a linear receiverDecember 4, 2020 -
Dish/engine systems use a parabolic dish of mirrors to direct and concentrate sunlight onto a central engine that produces electricity.October 27, 2020
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In power tower concentrating solar power systems, several flat, sun-tracking mirrors focus sunlight onto a receiver at the top of a tall towerOctober 27, 2020 -
One challenge facing solar energy is reduced energy production when the sun sets or is blocked by clouds. Thermal energy storage is one solution.December 10, 2021
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Concentrating solar-thermal power has a wide variety of industrial applications that can help decarbonize the U.S. industrial sector and reduce the U.S. economy's carbon footprint.October 10, 2024
Learn more about concentrating solar-thermal power research in the Solar Energy Technologies Office, check out these solar energy information resources, and find out more about how solar works.