The global renewable energy industry had a record-breaking year in 2015, according to the REN21 2016 Renewables Global Status Report, with 147GW of renewable generating capacity added worldwide – the […]
Tag: CSP
Alinta decides solar thermal plant plans not feasible for Port Augusta, SA
Alinta Energy has revealed it will not replace its ageing brown coal generators at Port Augusta with a solar tower and storage power station, after declaring the idea financially unviable. […]
USA will have 28GW of solar installed by end of 2015: SEIA
The continued surge in US solar growth could boost the nation’s accumulated capacity to 28GW by the end of 2015, new research has predicted. In a recent presentation by America’s […]
Two world records over 40% add up to a great week for solar!
Two separate research projects from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Soitec have set world records of over 40% solar cell efficiencies in the past week. The UNSW […]
Areva announces withdrawal from solar thermal business, leaving questions about Australian projects
French nuclear giant Areva has announced that it is pulling the plug on its solar thermal business, citing weak sales and falling revenues across nuclear and renewables. The move casts […]
Australian concentrating solar demo plant sets solar heat record
A CSIRO-developed Australian solar thermal project has achieved what is being described as a game-changing breakthrough, demonstrating the technology’s potential to compete with modern coal-fired plants. The CSIRO Energy Centre […]
Abengoa feasibility study could pave the way for solar thermal with storage in Australia
Spanish renewable energy giant Abengoa has secured $450,000 in funds from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to conduct a feasibility study into building a 20MW solar thermal tower plant with […]
Silex Systems says Mildura CPV plant on track despite ARENA worries
Australian company Silex Systems has sought to reassure investors that its flagship 100MW concentrating solar PV power project in Victoria is still on track despite changes to Australia’s clean energy […]
Construction begins on Australia’s first concentrating solar plant with storage
Construction of Australia’s first stand-alone concentrated solar thermal power station with integrated storage is underway in NSW, with a project that promises to deliver electricity on demand, for around the […]
IEA: Solar to account for 27% of global energy generation by 2050
Solar power looks set to become the world’s dominant energy source, with new data from the International Energy Agency predicting a combination of PV and concentrating solar thermal and storage […]
Murdoch Uni develops algorithm to predict solar output in SW Australia
Researchers at Murdoch University have developed a web-based simulator to calculate the hourly power output of photovoltaic and concentrated solar thermal (CST) power systems for south-west Australia that accounts for […]
Australia’s RayGen secures funds to manufacture concentrating PV technology
Australian solar technology start-up RayGen has signed a $60 million equity and manufacturing deal to help accelerate a technology that it believes will generate $1 billion in sales by 2020. […]
Analysis: WA moving to 100% renewables by 2029 cheaper than status quo
The WA Greens have published a new analysis that suggests that the state could move to 100 per cent renewables by 2029 with a cheaper outcome than business as usual. […]
California’s Ivanpah ‘Solar Tower’ now online
The 392 megawatt (MW) Ivanpah Solar Project has at long last come online in California. The solar thermal plant, located south of Las Vegas, Nevada across the California border will […]
Rooftop solar already less expensive than grid power–even in Europe
A report from the biggest solar research centre in Europe suggests that rooftop solar PV is clearly cheaper than electricity sourced from the grid – even in northern European countries […]
2 Australian scientists honoured for work in solar thermal technology
2 Australian scientists have been awarded Member of the order of Australia medals for their work in the realm of solar thermal–or concentrating solar power (CSP)–technology. Dr David Mills, a […]
Solar PV would be vital in a 100% renewable Australia: AEMO
The Australian Electricity Market Operator (AEMO), has released a draft version (pdf) of a study it is currently undertaking that investigates the possibility of an Australia that runs wholly on renewable […]
Concentrating Solar Power Alliance formed in US
Three companies have come together to form an organisation to promote the acceptance, adoption, and implementation of concentrating solar power (CSP) in the USA. The new industry peak body is known […]
The other type of solar power: Concentrating solar power (CSP)
When most people think of solar power, they imagine solar photovoltaics, the technology whereby sunlight is turned directly into (dc) electricity via the p-n junction of a semiconductor material, such […]