Image: solarpowerworldonline.com
In efforts to increase South Africa’s solar energy storage capacity, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), through Solar Energy Technologies, has partnered with SolarReserve to advance concentrated solar-thermal power (CSP) research and development.
As part of its FY2018 Solar Energy Technologies Office funding program, the DoE is using a $2 million contract to develop next generation technology that will optimize CSP technology projections of the next decade.
The research and development side of the project will be conducted by SolarReserve, in partnership with South Africa’s Stellenbosch University and New Mexico-based Sandia National Laboratories.
Kevin Smith, SolarReserve’s CEO, said: “We are excited to participate in this initiative and aggressively drive innovation that will lower delivered cost of solar electricity that has the added benefit of round-the-clock availability through energy storage.”