DOE efforts to concentrate Solar Power

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Alexander Karsner recently made the declaration that DOE is here to invest $5.2 million in the development of low-cost Concentrating Solar Power (CSP).

DOE will also make available a Technology Commercialization Development Fund (TCDF) of up to $7.2 million to three of DOE’s National Laboratories to support commercialization of clean energy technologies. CSP systems use the heat generated by concentrating and absorbing the sun’s energy to produce thermal energy.

Storage of solar energy in this manner removes the intermittency of sunlight, making it “dispatchable” and thus enabling CSP systems to provide energy to homes and businesses day or night. Projects categories include thermal storage and through component manufacturing and advanced CSP systems and/or components.