Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy

Introduction

Gilles FLAMANT

PROMES-CNRS, Font-Romeu, France

Why a book on concentrated solar power?

Renewable energies play an important or even dominant role in the medium- and long-term energy strategy of most countries. In this context, any solution that may contribute to the emergence of a low-carbon world should be carefully considered. France, a country with a strong nuclear energy deployment, has also conducted groundbreaking research in the field of solar power, particularly concentrated solar power, which was not developed to the same level as nuclear power. Sixty-five years ago, at the end of World War II, Félix Trombe reversed the path of light on the parabolic spotlights of the anti-aircraft defense deployed by the German army around Paris and transformed them into solar concentrators. This is a magnificent symbol of revival, which in itself is sufficient to justify this book. However, it is obviously not the only reason. As a result of research and development, this technology reached the commercial stage for certain architectures of solar power plants, but concentrated solar power is still struggling to find its place next to wind power and photovoltaics. There are three main reasons for this delay, namely modularity, financing mechanisms and deployment area. Even though wind power and photovoltaics benefit from a positive scale effect, the latter is far more significant for concentrated solar power. Consequently, on the one hand, the manufacturing cost of small ...