Concentrating Solar Power: The State of the Art, Research Gaps and Future Perspectives

Gabriella Ferruzzi (), Camelia Delcea, Antonino Barberi, Vincenzo Di Dio, Marialaura Di Somma, Pietro Catrini, Stefania Guarino, Federico Rossi, Maria Laura Parisi, Adalgisa Sinicropi and Sonia Longo
Additional contact information
Gabriella Ferruzzi: Smart Grid and Energy Network (SGRE) Laboratory, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Portici Research Centre, Piazzale Enrico Fermi 1, 80055 Portici, Italy
Camelia Delcea: Department of Economic Informatics & Cybernetics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 010552 Bucharest, Romania
Antonino Barberi: Engineering Department, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Piazza Marina, 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Vincenzo Di Dio: Engineering Department, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Piazza Marina, 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Marialaura Di Somma: Smart Grid and Energy Network (SGRE) Laboratory, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Portici Research Centre, Piazzale Enrico Fermi 1, 80055 Portici, Italy
Pietro Catrini: Engineering Department, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Piazza Marina, 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Stefania Guarino: Engineering Department, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Piazza Marina, 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Federico Rossi: Department of Biotechnology Chemistry and Pharmacy, Università di Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Maria Laura Parisi: Department of Biotechnology Chemistry and Pharmacy, Università di Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Adalgisa Sinicropi: Department of Biotechnology Chemistry and Pharmacy, Università di Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Sonia Longo: Engineering Department, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Piazza Marina, 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-39

Abstract: In recent decades, the fight against climate change and the commitment to reduce greenhouse gases have shed a light on the production of energy from renewable sources, in particular those derived from solar energy. This has required the involvement of all stakeholders (producers, but also energy operators, authorities, distributors, and final consumers) which has led to the outline of a new scenario characterized by more efficient technologies, dedicated strategies and business models, and the research of alternatives solutions. Within solar technology, great attention has been given in recent years to concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies, both from research studies and technological development sides. This paper provides a theoretical framework based on a CSP literature review to define the state of the art and to identify research gaps and future research steps related to this technology. The work is based on an innovative bibliometric study to explore technical fields related to CSP, providing both a comprehensive framework with reference to the state of the art of the technology investigated, and a detailed analysis on CSP commercial applications, making the review a very useful tool for stakeholders and decision makers The results of the analysis: (1) help to clarify the technological advances of CSP, the strengths and weaknesses of the current technologies used (parabolic and tower systems are the most widespread), and indications of the prospects for dish systems; (2) identify an alternative to the economic problem that represents an obstacle to the diffusion of CSP, for example, by identifying the ability to couple it with thermal storage as a valid method to increase the flexibility of the system and reduce costs; (3) suggested hybrids, both with renewable and non-renewable technologies, identifying strengths and weaknesses for all the proposed proposals; (4) show that it is possible to identify new ongoing research such as that related to hydrogen production. This paper represents the first part of a larger research study developed within the SOLARGRID Project, which promotes and supports the development of innovative solutions for systems and components for CSP and concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) technologies, with the aim to enhance their energetic performances and economic competitiveness in applications for the distributed generation of both electric and thermal energy frameworks. The main findings of our study highlight that, though there is an increasing number of papers on the topic of CSP, several issues remain neglected.

Keywords: concentrating solar power; thermal energy; renewable sources; photovoltaic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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