The DOE SunShot CSP Program aims to significantly increase operating temperatures, efficiency and lifetime, while lowering cost of receivers. The SunShot Initiative funds research and development (R&D) on receiver systems and related aspects within the industry, national laboratories and universities to achieve the following technical targets of receiver subsystems:
- Heat transfer fluid exit temperature from the receiver > 650°C
- Thermal efficiency > 90%
- Lifetime > 10,000 cycles
- Cost < $150/kWth
The R&D approaches toward these goals are broadly in the areas of:
- developing fundamentally new receiver designs
- developing novel solar selective coatings
- exploring high temperature receiver corrosion and heat transfer fluid stability.
Learn more on the concentrating solar power receivers R&D activities for trough, tower, linear Fresnel or dish systems.