This ability to store solar energy makes concentrating solar power a flexible and dispatchable source of renewable electricity, like other thermal power plants, but without fossil fuel, as CSP uses the heat of highly concentrated sunlight.
Under the worldwide carbon neutralization targets, concentrating solar power (CSP) is arousing great attention. With the thermal energy storage (TES), CSP is friendly to the power system operation by supplying controllable renewable energy. The capacities of its solar field and TES are essential parameters for maximizing the profit of a CSP plant.
Concentrated solar power (CSP, also known as concentrating solar power, concentrated solar thermal) systems generate solar power by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight into a receiver.
Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a promising technology to generate electricity from solar energy. Thermal energy storage (TES) is a crucial element in CSP plants for storing surplus heat from the solar field and utilizing it when needed.
Here are some of the key benefits of CSP: High energy output: Concentrated solar power systems can generate large amounts of electricity, with some utility-scale plants capable of producing hundreds of megawatts of power. This makes CSP a suitable option for large-scale energy generation.
Concentrated solar technology systems use mirrors or lenses with tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight onto a small area. The concentrated light is then used as heat or as a heat source for a conventional power plant (solar thermoelectricity).