Wind Energy

Cost Reduction in Concentrating Solar Power Technologies

The HITECO project, co funded by the European Program FP7, aims to develop a new solar receiver that will increase the parabolic-trough efficiency, reaching an operating temperature above the current limit of 400º C of the heat transfer fluid. HITECO’s new concept of solar receivers for high temperature will reduce the cost of the energy produced in CSP (Concentrated Solar Power) plants, guaranteeing excellent performance during its working life.

The HITECO Project presented its preliminary results at the ‘Efficiency Increase and Cost Reduction in CSP Technologies’ summit last June, with the presence of a large representation of the main companies and stakeholders. The distinguished Dr. Eckhard Lüpfert (DLR) shared his view on the state-of-the-art CSP and expressed the need for quality assurance in the solar collector field. Additionally, Manuela Bistolfi, coordinator of the E2phest2us Project, exhibited some of the most innovative solar energy applications at high temperatures.

The workshop started with an overview of FP7 – Energy Theme by the European Commission Officer, Piero de Bonis, including an outline of the different European projects in the CSP field. It was then followed by the general presentation of HITECO’s objectives, activities and expected results, which served as an introduction to the different technical presentations of HITECO’s preliminary results.

The HITECO presentations covered different relevant optical and thermal modeling of the receiver, the development of the solar selective coatings and the develop of preindustrial facilities for the application of these coatings in steel tubes and studies about the welding process in borosilicate glass tubes with applications in solar industry. These technical presentations were complemented by a presentation of the results of another relevant FP7 project of the CSP field "E2PHEST2US – Enhanced Energy Production of Heat and Electricity by a combined Solar Thermionic-Thermoelectric Unit System". All presentations are available for download at the project’s website (www.hitecoproject.com). The HITECO project will hold a new workshop at the end of the project (expected in autumn 2013) to present its final results.