Santa Monica,, CA. solar thermal power developer SolarReserve announced Oct. 25 that it has received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for further research and development of its solar thermal power technology.
SolarReserve’s large-scale solar power projects use mirror arrays to concentrate through reflection the sun’s rays onto a central receiver to heat molten salt inside the tower which, in turn, is used to generate power. The grant from the DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office will be used to develop a next-generation system that is more efficient in storing heat and transferring heat to the power generators.
SolarReserve will partner on the project with Stellenbosch University in Stellenbosch, South Africa and Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M. to leverage their innovations and testing facilities.