Solar Energy News  
Examination Of The Concentrated Solar Power Market

Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. This is then used to generate electricity. Moreover, the high temperatures produced by CST systems can be used to provide process heat and steam for a variety of secondary commercial applications (cogeneration).
by Staff Writers
Dublin, Ireland (SPX) Feb 19, 2008
Solar power is used synonymously with solar energy or more specifically to refer to the conversion of sunlight into electricity. This can be done either through the photovoltaic effect or by heating a transfer fluid to produce steam to run a generator. Solar energy technologies harness the sun's energy for practical ends.

These technologies date from the time of the early Greeks, Native Americans and Chinese, who warmed their buildings by orienting them toward the sun. Modern solar technologies provide heating, lighting, electricity and even flight.

Concentrated sunlight has been used to perform useful tasks from the time of ancient China. A legend claims Archimedes used polished shields to concentrate sunlight on the invading Roman fleet and repel them from Syracuse in 212 BC. Leonardo Da Vinci conceived using large-scale solar concentrators to weld copper in the 15th century.

In 1866, Auguste Mouchout successfully powered a steam engine with sunlight, the first known example of a concentrating solar-powered mechanical device. Over the following 50 years, inventors such as John Ericsson, and Frank Shuman developed solar-powered devices for irrigation, refrigeration and locomotion. The progeny of these early developments are the concentrating solar thermal power plants of today.

Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. This is then used to generate electricity. Moreover, the high temperatures produced by CST systems can be used to provide process heat and steam for a variety of secondary commercial applications (cogeneration).

However, CST technologies require direct insolation to function and are of limited use in locations with significant cloud cover. The main methods for producing a concentrated beam are the solar trough, solar power tower and parabolic dish; the solar bowl is more rarely used. Each concentration method is capable of producing high temperatures and high efficiencies, but they vary in the way they track the sun and focus light.

This report, Concentrated Solar Power, captures all the knowledge you need to know on this topic into one comprehensive report. The report looks at the basics of solar energy, the basics of Concentrated Solar Power, the technologies used in this process, cost analysis of all the technologies, major ongoing projects, and much more. The report also analyzes the major players involved in the industry.

Related Links
All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Steve Carkner Appointed To Board Of Directors For ICP Solar Technologies
Montreal, Canada (SPX) Feb 19, 2008
ICP Solar Technologies has announced that Steve Carkner, P. Eng, Founder and Chief Executive Officer Panacis Medical has been appointed to the Board of Directors.







  • Areva declares interest in Turkey nuclear plant project
  • Russia to double Bushehr personnel: official
  • Outside View: Russian nuke plant for India
  • Namibia hopes to build nuclear power station: official

  • Nitrous Oxide: Definitely No Laughing Matter
  • Into The Abyss: Deep-Sixing Carbon
  • Fossil Record Suggests Insect Assaults On Foliage May Increase With Warming Globe
  • New Greenland Ice Sheet Data Will Impact Climate Change Models

  • Winemakers mull climate change at Barcelona conference
  • China struggles to avoid past mistakes in controlling food prices
  • Small farmers speak out against globalisation
  • Drought cuts 10 percent off Australian agricultural production

  • Giant Frog Jumps Continents
  • The Superhighways And Hotspots Of The Shark World
  • Migratory birds disappear in China storms
  • Small Sea Creatures May Be The Canaries In The Coal Mine Of Climate Change

  • Gearing Up For World's Largest Rocket Contest
  • Jules Verne ATV Launch Approaching
  • Propulsion Technology Mostly Unchanged After 50 Years
  • Ahmadinejad Says Iran Will Launch Two More Satellites

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space
  • Nuclear Power In Space

  • CIRA Scientist Among Authors Of Book Celebrating 50 Years Of Earth Observations From Space
  • Indonesia To Develop New EO Satellite
  • Russia To Launch Space Project To Monitor The Arctic In 2010
  • New Radar Satellite Technique Sheds Light On Ocean Current Dynamics

  • Expert: AI computers by 2020
  • Iran says its space probe sending data to earth
  • Lockheed Martin-Built A2100 Satellite Fleet Achieves 200 Years In Orbit
  • Game consoles can model black holes, drug molecules

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement