Concentrating Solar Power
The Solar Electric Generating Station IV power plant in California consists of many parallel rows of parabolic trough collectors that track the sun. The cooling towers can be seen with the water plume rising into the air, and white water tanks are in the background. Credit: Sandia National Laboratory / PIX 14955
Concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers that collect the solar energy and convert it to heat. This thermal energy can then be used to produce electricity via a steam turbine or heat engine driving a generator.
One way to classify concentrating solar power technologies is by how the various systems collect solar energy. You can learn about basic CSP operations of the three main technology systems, as well as thermal storage related to CSP technologies, in the following links:
The U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Program researches and develops this clean, utility-scale solar thermal technology to foster our nation's energy security. Our CSP research and development focuses on the three CSP technologies mentioned above, as well as thermal storage and advanced components and systems related to CSP.