Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) - Basics and Introduction

Solar Thermal Power Plants are large scale renewable energy infrastructures using heat produced by contracted solar beams (CSP - Concentrated Solar Power). Mirrors concentrate solar beam on a receiver. The produced heat with temparatures of 400ºC to 1000ºC can be used directly, be transformed into electricity or stored.  

 

Greenpeace, Solarpaces and ESTELA elaborated scenarios for the market potential and cost degression of the CSP technology with a timeline to 2050. According to the ambitious scenario costs per installed kW could come down from 3.060 € in 2015 to 2.160€ in 2050 (Greenpeace, Solarpaces, ESTELA, 2009).