The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded two research and development projects, totaling over $14 million, in the field of concentrating solar power (CSP) to Abengoa Solar.
Under the first award, Abengoa Solar aims to develop technology that will reduce the cost of thermal energy storage for trough-based CSP systems by 20% to 25%. The second contract will investigate new technologies for integrating thermal energy storage with power-tower CSP systems.
The two projects join three other DOE contracts that were awarded to Abengoa Solar in December 2007 that were focused on developing more efficient parabolic trough technology. Abengoa Solar says the overall R&D program will provide a major impetus in the drive to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of solar power technology.
SOURCE: Abengoa Solar
