NREL: Concentrating Solar Power Research - TroughNet

About NREL

Science and Technology

Technology Transfer

Applying Technologies

Learning About Renewables

TroughNet supports the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Program through its partnership in SunLab.

Wind-Tunnel Tests Assist in Structural Design of Parabolic Trough Solar Collectors

June 13, 2008

BLM Initiates Environmental Analysis of Solar Energy Development

May 29, 2008

2nd Concentrated Solar Power Summit US 2008

September 30 - October 1, 2008
San Francisco, CA

Solar Power 2008

October 13 - 17, 2008
San Diego, CA

2007 Parabolic Trough Technology Workshop Presentations

TroughNet is a technical resource for evaluation of parabolic trough solar power plant technologies.

Parabolic Trough Technology

Parabolic trough solar technology offers the lowest cost solar electric option for large power plant applications. To learn more, read our technology overviews:

A photo of a solar field featuring rows and rows of parabolic troughs at a power plant.

Solar Field

A photo of two, gray, thermal energy storage system tanks, which are very large, at a parabolic trough power plant.

Thermal Energy Storage

A photo of an aerial view of a parabolic trough power plant with rows and rows of parabolic trough surrounding it. Steam is coming out of the generation system building.

Power Plant Systems

Parabolic Trough Data and Resources

Industry Partners
Solar Data

Power Plant Data
Models and Tools

System and Component Testing

TroughNet is developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Solar Energy Technologies Program under the Center for Buildings and Thermal Systems.

Learn more about NREL's concentrating solar power research.

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NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy,
operated by Midwest Research Institute • Battelle