Toward sustainable energy systems?

Solar Thermal Power Plants. On the verge to Commercialization Today several concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies are at the phase of a first commercial deployment for bulk power production in Europe. The present costs of electricity produced by these plants have to be decreased by a factor of 3-5 in order to compete with electricity from fossil power plants without any subsidy. Beside continuous implementation of CSP power plants in Europe, which stipulate cost reduction by mass production effects, further R&D activities are necessary to achieve the cost competitiveness. We will survey the status of the technology for CSP and identify essential R&D needs to reduce the cost of electricity. Concentrating Solar Power Technologies and Innovations Plataforma Solar de Almeria: the European Solar Thermal Test Center The Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA) is the most complete laboratory for R&D activities concerning concentrated solar radiation. It was born in the early eighties as an IEA project aimed to demonstrate the technical feasibility of generating electricity by the solar thermal path. PSA became an R&D center and widened the range of industrial applications to study. The current situation in Spain allows to think very positively about the inmediate commercial deployment of these technologies. This speech will review the history and capacities of this center. Environmental Applications of Solar Thermal Energy: From water treatment to soil remediation Though electricity generation has been the main line of research at PSA from the very beginning, it is not the only suitable application for concentrated solar radiation. There are a wide range of suitable ways for the use of this massive energy source: waste water detoxification, seawater desalination, high-temperature industrial process heat, removal of heavy metals from contaminated soils. This speech will review all these activities at PSA.