Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

Concentrating Solar Power

Concentrating solar power (CSP) uses arrays of mirrors to concentrate large amounts of heat by focusing sunlight from a large field into a much smaller area. The concentrated heat energy is then used in a conventional power cycle or other heat engine to produce mechanical power that drives an electrical generator. The heat can also be efficiently and cheaply stored to produce electricity when the sun is not shining. Typically, CSP power plants generate large amounts of power (hundreds of megawatts) for utility-scale applications.

The Concentrating Solar Technologies Department develops solar thermal electric technologies for the DOE Solar Thermal Electric Program. Working in conjunction with the Photovoltaics Systems Department and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the department has developed parabolic trough, power tower, and dish/engine technology to support virtually every major solar thermal electric activity in the United States. In conjunction with industry, our staff have had pivotal technical and programmatic roles in the Solar Two power tower project; dish/engine joint venture programs with SAIC, Allied Signal, and Boeing; and in the development of advanced concepts, components (heliostats, solar receivers, and engines), and systems. We also support a range of systems analyses, market identification studies, and international cooperative projects (through the International Energy Agency (IEA) working group SolarPACES), conducted in cooperation with industry partners.

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Solar CSP R&D Activities at Sandia

Sandia works with its partner laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) located in Golden, CO, in a “virtual laboratory” concept called SunLab. SunLab supports the DOE Concentrating Solar Power Program and U.S. CSP industry by providing: R&D on CSP components and systems, advanced component development, component and systems analysis, test and evaluation, and supporting market development activities.

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National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF)

• Heliostat Field
• Solar Tower
• Molten Salt Test Loop
• Salt Testing
• Regional Test Facility
• Rotating Platform
• Concentrated Photovoltaics
• Engine Test Facility
• Optics Lab
• Dish Test Facility
• Solar Furnace
• Work for Others (WFO)
• User Fees for NSTTF Capabilities

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Software & Tools

Concentrating Solar Power Resources

Sandia Concentrating Solar Technologies Contacts

News

Sandia Solar Energy Test System Cited in National Engineering CompetitionBridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers, Inc., of Albuquerque, N.M., earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 47th annual Engineering Excellence Awards for the Molten Salt Test Loop (MSTL) project, part of Sandia’s NSTTF. Designed and built to exacting specifications, Sandia’s MSTL system provides a means [...]

Sandia Workers Received Entrepreneurial Spirit AwardsJim Pacheco (now in the Active Response and Denial Dept.) received an Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for his participation in Sandia’s Entrepreneurial Separation to Transfer Technology (ESTT) program, which encourages researchers to take jobs at startup or expanding businesses. ESTT was started in 1994, and since then 144 Sandia employees have left the labs, 57 of [...]

Sandia and EMCORE: Solar Photovoltaics, Fiber Optics, MODE, and Energy EfficiencyMODE (MicroOptical Devices) was an Albuquerque-based start-up company founded by a group of Sandians who left Sandia under a special entrepreneurial program. MODE was purchased in 1997 by EMCORE, a New Jersey company that has worked with Sandia since the early 1990s. Upon acquiring MODE, EMCORE became the first company to build a facility in [...]