Funding Program: SuNLaMP
SunShot Subprogram: CSP
Location: Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, NM
SunShot Award Amount: $2,250,000

This project maintains the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF), which provides the CSP industry with established test platforms and highly experienced researchers and technologists. The NSTTF allows for development, testing, and application of new concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies that are instrumental in advancing state-of-the-art technology. With expert staff ensuring safe and reliable operation, the NSTTF allows these technologies to form the foundation of the global CSP industry and continue to advance the technology to new levels of efficiency, higher temperatures, lower costs, lower risk, and higher reliability.

Approach

This project allows the NSTTF team to manage and enhance critical capabilities and infrastructure for assuring success of CSP component and system technologies. In order to do so, they will analyze the needs of their customers who use the facilities for testing purposes, which will enable the NSTTF to clearly identify and communicate what equipment requires maintenance and the budget required to perform the work.

Innovation

The identification of site improvements at the NSTTF is critical in planning the future of its programs. By maintaining operational readiness, it will attract more customers to use the facility to test their CSP technology, thereby enhancing the value of NSTTF to the CSP industry.