Remote Areas to be Benefited by Small-Scale Concentrated Solar Power
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Remote Areas to be Benefited by Small-Scale Concentrated Solar Power

Energy CIO Insights | Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Concentrated solar power (CSP) is generally a means of creating and storing massive amounts of solar energy to make electricity. Theoretically, it is similar to using a magnifying glass to burn wood or paper. Concentrating the rays of the sun can create intense heat, which can be captured in numerous storage mediums. The three most commonly used medium are water, molten salt, and molten silicon.

CSP technology is impressive because it ensures time-shifting of solar power. Silicon, salt or water can be heated when the sun’s shining brightly. That stored water then can be used to create electricity when the sun sets, but the demand for electricity is much higher. Today, CSP installations are typically capable of generating vast amounts of power. A 700-megawatt system is under development in Dubai. According to most experts, 100 megawatts is the smallest size which is feasible economically.

According to a report in Renewable Energy Magazine, Azelio, a Swedish company says that they have come up with a new technology that can make concentrated solar power suitable for projects as large as 20 megawatts to as small as 500 kilowatts. The company boasts of its technology being able to generate clean electricity, on demand, at all times in a distributed way and is more cost-effective than other competing technologies.

Molten aluminum is used to store heat, and a Stirling engine is used to generate electricity by the Azelio system. Generally, most CSP systems are utilized to store heat to create steam that is later used to power conventional turbines for generating electricity.

Scottish minister Robert Stirling invented the Stirling engine in the year 1816. It is operated utilizing heat from sources externally, which is also much more efficient than an internal combustion engine. Different from a steam engine, the Stirling engine is a closed system in which a medium, most often air, is continuously heated and cooled down without exhausting the atmosphere around it.

According to Clean Technica, Jonas Eklind, CEO of Azelio said that showcasing this technology is a milestone for the firm. The Azelio system has become an example of how electricity can be brought into the remotest of areas without spending much on building traditional electrical grids which are mostly prohibitively expensive.

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