THE AUSTRALIAN Solar Institute is entering into a research and development partnership with a German organisation to improve solar power capabilities.
The R&D MoU was signed by Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Senator Kim Carr.
The European partner is Deutches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), and the partnership will develop concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies.
Australian researchers will be able to investigate cost and efficiency improvements in CSP. The organisations expect the R&D effort to increase efficiency and lower the costs of producing energy from the sun, with the technology possibly becoming commercialised later.
The ASI and DLR have already agreed a number of priority activities for immediate commencement, including high temperature CSP modelling and high temperature receiver performance and analysis.
Australia’s CSIRO will initially lead the scoping of Australia’s involvement in these areas, with the ASI seeking to broaden Australia’s involvement in the near future.
Previously, the ASI signed an MoU with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute, which focuses on solar photovoltaic technologies. It is also developing the US-Australia Solar Research Collaboration announced in late 2010.
Concentrated solar power technology uses mirrors to concentrate a large area of sunlight onto a small area. Electrical power is produced when the concentrated light is converted to heat to drive a steam turbine connected to an electrical power generator.
The R&D MoU was signed by Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Senator Kim Carr.
The European partner is Deutches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), and the partnership will develop concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies.
Australian researchers will be able to investigate cost and efficiency improvements in CSP. The organisations expect the R&D effort to increase efficiency and lower the costs of producing energy from the sun, with the technology possibly becoming commercialised later.
The ASI and DLR have already agreed a number of priority activities for immediate commencement, including high temperature CSP modelling and high temperature receiver performance and analysis.
Australia’s CSIRO will initially lead the scoping of Australia’s involvement in these areas, with the ASI seeking to broaden Australia’s involvement in the near future.
Previously, the ASI signed an MoU with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute, which focuses on solar photovoltaic technologies. It is also developing the US-Australia Solar Research Collaboration announced in late 2010.
Concentrated solar power technology uses mirrors to concentrate a large area of sunlight onto a small area. Electrical power is produced when the concentrated light is converted to heat to drive a steam turbine connected to an electrical power generator.
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