The extraordinary resurgence of concentrated solar power
Energy Gang6 Elo 2024

The extraordinary resurgence of concentrated solar power

Complex, outdated, expensive: concentrating solar power used to be a clunky way of harnessing the sun. What’s changed to now make it viable?

Concentrating Solar Power, or CSP, takes energy from the sun, converts it to heat, and uses it to drive a turbine to provide renewable electricity. It has more moving parts than photovoltaic (PV) solar – which has none – so there is more that can go wrong. But it has the big advantage that the heat can be stored for days, weeks and even months, meaning that CSP can support grid stability even when the sun isn’t shining. Its real competition isn’t PV solar, but other “clean firm” power sources such as geothermal.

The US Department of Energy is funding 25 projects in this area, with almost $100 million to research and develop CSP technologies. To discuss the technology and the viability of a process that’s been trying to get off the ground in the US for decades, Melissa Lott and Amy Myers-Jaffe are joined by Dr Matt Bauer from the Solar Energy Technologies Office.

They explore the different generations of CSP technology, with Gen 3 focusing on higher temperature heat and more efficient power cycles. The steep learning curve and capital intensity of CSP plants is a particular barrier to deployment at the moment, as is the risk associated with building large thermal plants. The potential for CSP to bridge seasonal energy storage gaps is there; unlocking it is the problem.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jaksot(566)

How a Texas electric co-op rebuilt for reliability | Sponsored content from Rayburn Electric

How a Texas electric co-op rebuilt for reliability | Sponsored content from Rayburn Electric

As Texas battles another bout of bitterly cold weather, Energy Gang looks at the lessons that one generation and transmission electric co-operative learned from Winter Storm Uri in 2021. The freeze an...

27 Tammi 45min

Venezuela and what to expect from energy in 2026

Venezuela and what to expect from energy in 2026

The new year has only just begun, and already we have seen an event with massive significance for the world of energy. The US operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro opens a new era fo...

8 Tammi 51min

Electric vehicles create problems for the grid. Could they also help solve them? The plan to turn EVs into reliable grid infrastructure

Electric vehicles create problems for the grid. Could they also help solve them? The plan to turn EVs into reliable grid infrastructure

As we head into 2026, electricity grids aren’t just under strain; they are facing transformational change because of the shifts in the ways that we work, entertain ourselves, and get around. EVs are o...

6 Tammi 54min

Energy Gang’s year in review: the highs, the lows, the people and the technologies of 2025

Energy Gang’s year in review: the highs, the lows, the people and the technologies of 2025

It’s the final Energy Gang of the year, and host Ed Crooks is joined by regulars Amy Myers Jaffe, Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab, Shanu Mathew, a portfolio investor a...

18 Joulu 20251h 1min

California’s grid under pressure: affordability, AI, and the future of electricity markets

California’s grid under pressure: affordability, AI, and the future of electricity markets

California is often described as the state where you can see the future of the US, and of the world. That has certainly been true in terms of some of the problems faced by the electricity grid. Califo...

9 Joulu 202544min

What happened at COP30? The key points on cutting emissions, adapting to a warming world, and raising the finance to pay for it

What happened at COP30? The key points on cutting emissions, adapting to a warming world, and raising the finance to pay for it

The COP30 climate talks in Belem wrapped up over the weekend, and reactions to the outcome were sharply divided. Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, said “climate cooperation is still ali...

25 Marras 202556min

What happened in COP30’s first week? Support for energy efficiency and a status report on methane show which climate initiatives are still making progress

What happened in COP30’s first week? Support for energy efficiency and a status report on methane show which climate initiatives are still making progress

Negotiations in the COP 30 climate talks are continuing in Belem, Brazil. The headlines are focusing on the divisions between countries that are shaping this year’s climate talks. But despite the doom...

19 Marras 202552min

The COP30 climate talks are under way In Brazil. What is the point of the conference?

The COP30 climate talks are under way In Brazil. What is the point of the conference?

COP30, which began this week in Belém, Brazil, marks a decade since the Paris Agreement was adopted at COP21 in 2015. It’s being billed as the “implementation COP”: instead of grand new announcements ...

13 Marras 202548min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
mimmit-sijoittaa
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-rahapodi
rss-sisalto-kuntoon
rss-rahamania
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
herrasmieshakkerit
rahapuhetta
sijoituspodi
rss-lahtijat
rss-karon-grilli
oppimisen-psykologia
lakicast
rss-startup-ministerio
rss-bisnesta-bebeja
rss-paasipodi
rss-yrittajan-mindset
rss-viisas-raha-podi
rss-draivi