Milestone 15

D
E
LI Status Report on Existing
V Capacities, Technological and
E
R Human Resources
A
BLE CODE
Submitted July 2014

The EU-SOLARIS Project is co-funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union
Combination of Collaborative project and Support Action (CP-CSA)
Integrating Activities / e-Infrastructures / Preparatory phase
FP7-INFRASTRUCTURES-2012-1
Project Start Date: 1st November 2012, Project Duration: 4 years
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Document Control Sheet

Grant Agreement N. 312833 Acronym EU-SOLARIS

Full Title The European SOLAR Research Infrastructure for Concentrated Solar Power

Work Package (WP) 3

WP Title Capacity Bulding & Services

Authoring Partner Weizmann

Person reponsible Doron Lieberman

Deliverable Type Milestone (MS)

Deliverable Number MS15

Deliverable Title Status report on existing capacities, technological and human resources.

Version 04

File-name EUS_WP3_MS15_prefinal_V05

Implemented by Doron Lieberman and Rachamim Rubin

Dissemination Level CO Confidential, only for partners of the Consortium (including the
(mark with an ´X´ in Commission´s Services)
the column to the far
right)
PU Public X

PP Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission

Services)

RE Restricted to a group specified by the Consortium (including the

Commission Services)

EU-SOLARIS Mariano MENNA

European
Commission (EC)
Scientific Project
Officer

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Table 1. Document history/change log.

Version Date Amended by Change made

01 06/10/2013 Project Office Pre-final Version

02 12/01/2014 Project Office Pre-final Version

03 03/04/2014 Project Office Pre-final Version

04 23/04/2014 Weizmann Pre-final Version

04 23/05/2014 Project Office Pre-final Version

05 08/06/2014 Weizmann Pre-final Version

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Executive Summary
This deliverable MS15 report is part of Work Package (WP) 3, Capacity Building & Services. This task
will respond to the relevant gaps in Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) and Solar Chemistry
technologies. It is therefore necessary and imperative to evaluate, make changes, upgrade and readapt
the current research facilities to the present situation, and future challenges, with close collaboration
and synergy with the involved industries and future to come. The first step to achieve this goal is to
analyse the current state of research facilities (Including its technological infrastructures and human
resources capacities). The data source used to do this analysis is a detailed template questionnaire,
which was prepared in order to monitor the European partners (EU-SOLARIS partners) and non-
partners’ facilities. The same template questionnaire will be used to monitor the RI facilities around the
world. The questionnaire and a letter explaining the importance of their cooperation were sent to
contact people in RI facilities around the world. Appendix 3 contains the preliminary list of contact
people of RI facilities around the world. This preliminary list prepared by Weizmann people is based on
previous contacts with them in different collaborative events. The PO and all the WP participants will
help to update this list they also will look for other new RI facilities.

The replies to the questionnaire include the technical information, services currently offered by the
existing facilities (inquiry 3.1.16 in the questionnaire), human resources (inquiry 3.2.1, 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 in
the questionnaire) and recommendations for upgrading the existing facilities (inquiry 3.1.17 in the
questionnaire). All EU-SOLARIS partners replied to the questionnaire and provided the necessary
information about their facility. In this report the information about the research facilities’ capacities was
analysed. The infrastructure power varies from kWs to MWs. Solar towers, linear Fresnel and parabolic
troughs are the biggest facilities with power of MWs. Parabolic dishes, solar furnace and solar
simulators can reach up to 500 kW. Solar towers, solar simulators and parabolic dishes give the highest
flux up to 16 000 kW/m2 (PSA parabolic dishes). The WP3 is monitoring only the Research and
Technological Development (RTD) facilities, because for future needs one can progress only by RTD
experiments at different CST facilities. Summarising and publishing the different CST facilities,
technologies and services will help EU-SOLARIS partners’ researchers to execute their new ideas for
excellence.

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Index

Executive Summary ...............................................................................................................................4

1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................8
2. Data Sources and Facilities types .....................................................................................................9
3. Facilities Capacities ........................................................................................................................ 10
3.1. Solar Towers and Secondary Concentrators. ......................................................................... 10
3.2. Parabolic Trough Systems ...................................................................................................... 12
3.3. Linear Fresnel ......................................................................................................................... 13
3.4. Parabolic Dishes ..................................................................................................................... 14
3.5. Energy Storage. ...................................................................................................................... 15
3.6. Solar Furnaces........................................................................................................................ 15
3.7. Solar Simulators ..................................................................................................................... 17
3.8. Laboratories and Others Capacities. ...................................................................................... 17
4. Human Resources. ......................................................................................................................... 19
5. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 20
Appendix 1: Questionnaire template. .................................................................................................. 22
Appendix 2: Replies to the questionnaire. .......................................................................................... 36

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List of Tables

Table 1. Document history/change log. ..................................................................................................... 3

Table 2: Summary of the Solar Towers parameters and the targets amount. ........................................ 12
Table 3: Summary the key properties of EU-SOLARIS partners’ parabolic troughs. .............................. 12
Table 4: Summary the EU-SOLARIS partners’ Parabolic Dishes main parameters. .............................. 14
Table 5: Summary of the EU-SOLARIS partners’ molten salt storage system main parameters ........... 15
Table 6: Summary of the EU-SOLARIS partners’ solar furnaces main parameters. .............................. 16
Table 7: Summary of the EU-SOLARIS partners’ solar simulators main parameters. ............................ 17
Table 8: Summary of the EU-SOLARIS partners’ laboratories. .............................................................. 18
Table 9: Summary of the Human Resources at the EU-SOLARIS partners ........................................... 19
Table 10: The numbers of research facilities available among the EU-SOLARIS partners. ................... 20

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List of Figuress.

Figure 1: An example of a solar tower (operated by CNRS). .................................................................. 11

Figure 2: An example of parabolic trough systems (operated by PSA). ................................................. 13
Figure 3: An example of linear fresnel (operated by PSA). ..................................................................... 13
Figure 4: An example of parabolic dish (operated by PSA). ................................................................... 14
Figure 5: An example of solar furnace (operated by DLR) ...................................................................... 16
Figure 6: An example of a solar simulator (operated by APTL). ............................................................. 17

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1. Introduction
WP3 topic is “Capacity Building & Services”. This WP will respond to the relevant gaps in CST
technologies. It is therefore necessary and imperative to evaluate, make changes, upgrade and readapt
the current research facilities to the present situation, and future challenges, with close collaboration
and synergy between EU-SOLARIS partners and the involved industries and future to come. This report
is the first step to achieve this goal.

The scope and objective of this document is to monitor the RI Capacities, Technological Resources and
Human Resources. The term “Capacities and Technological Resources” in this report covers: solar
radiation concentrator type, thermal power, mirror size, sun concentration, number of devices, number
of targets, and availability for different research. Facility capacity includes the existing laboratories and
measurement equipment. The portfolio of the available technical services as EU-SOLARIS will be
summarized in a different report (MS16&MS17). The human resources refer to the number of persons
and their quality. The outcome of the RI facilities capacities monitoring is the recommendation plan for
development and upgrade. The recommendation plan will be done at a later stage in MS18.

The objectives of this report are: to establish a comprehensive list of the Concentrating Solar Thermal
and Solar Chemistry technologies (CST) equipment, to determine the EU-SOLARIS capacities and to
define the human resources required to cope with the new challenges.

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2. Data Sources and Facilities types

In order to get accurate information about the current research facilities and their present situation,
future challenges, with close collaboration and synergy between EU-SOLARIS partners and the
involved industries and future to come, a detailed questionnaire template was prepared. This
questionnaire covers all the aspects on the capacities, technology services and human resources of
each facility. The EU-SOLARIS partners were asked to reply to this questionnaire. All EU-SOLARIS
partners replied to this questionnaire, so this report focuses only on the information from EU-SOLARIS
facilities.

The questionnaire’s objective is to gather information on research and development facilities that use
CST energy. This leads to certain research facility types that include: towers, parabolic trough systems,
parabolic dishes, energy storage systems, simulators, linear Fresnel and solar furnaces. This report
does not include commercial facilities.

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3. Facilities Capacities
Monitoring the reasearch facilities’ capacities is the most important information to analyse their current
state. The reasearch facilities can be divide into two groups, one group of facilities with high thermal
power of a few MW, the other group with low and medium power, up to 500 kW. The first group
includes towers and parabolic trough systems and the second group includes solar parabolic dishes,
solar simulators, linear Fresnel systems and solar furnaces. In all cases the facility power is evaluated
from the total reflective area, field design, reflectivity, the average DNI (Direct Normal Irradiance) and
losses estimation. The definition of the facilities capacities includes laboratories, meteorological
measurement devices, secondary concentrators and modelling power.

The EU-SOLARIS partner’s activities include optic systems (mirror reflectivity, sun tacking, central
tower filed arrangements, etc.), heat energy transfer, energy storage, energy measurements, high
temperature material science and system modelling.

3.1. Solar Towers and Secondary

Concentrators.
Solar tower also named central tower receiver is an optic system facility consisting of a heliostat field
and a tower with one or more targets. This optic system allows an increase in the total system power by
over-lapping the beams from individual heliostat. The receiver temperature can reach up to 2 000ºC.
The significant parameters of solar towers are the tower height, total reflective area, heliostat size,
heliostat field arrangement and sun concentration. The heliostat’s size and arrangement define the
primary loss by blocking and shadowing. The heliostats have two motors for two axes tracking. Total
power and sun concentration of solar tower depend on the sun angle. The sun angle depends on the
date, the day time, and the facility site location. Figure 1 shows an example of a solar tower central
receiver.

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Figure 1: An example of a solar tower (operated by CNRS).

EU-SOLARIS partners operate six research towers. One is in CTAER, Almeria, Spain, with 13 mobile
heliostats 120 m2 each. The second is in Weizmann, in Israel, with a Northfield and 64 spherical canted
heliostats 56 m2 each built from 20 curved facets. The third research tower is the Jülich Solar Tower in
Germany with a Northfield and 2 153 heliostats 8.2 m2 each. The fourth belongs to Centre National de
la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the refurbished THEMIS solar power tower. It is located near the
village of Targassonne, in the Pyrénées-Orientales, south of France. The THEMIS tower has a
Northfield with 109 heliostats 54 m2 each. The fifth and the sixth towers are located in Plataforma Solar
de Almeria (PSA), CESA-I plant and SSPS-CRS plant. CESA-I plant has a Northfield and 300 heliostats
40 m2 each. SSPS-CRS plant has a Northfield and 90 heliostats 40 m2 each. The heliostats in these
cases are built from curved facets, dual-axis sun-tracking and rectangular shape. In most cases the
facets are made from back coated glass. The total target number in those 6 solar towers is 18. The
main properties of these 6 towers are summarised inTable 2: Summary of the Solar Towers parameters
and the targets amount.In this table, the sixth column indicates the field arrangement productivity
quality (the ratio of the power divided by the reflectivity area). As this ratio is higher the productivity
quality is higher.

Secondary concentrator optic devices are only used in a central solar tower receiver to increase the
solar radiation concentration from a few hundred to a few thousand suns. Increasing the solar radiation
concentration is needed to increase the available working temperature (above 800ºC). High
temperature pushes the thermodynamic efficiency to higher levels. Four secondary concentrators are in
operation at the Weizmann solar tower facilities. Two secondary concentrators are Compound
Parabolic Concentrators (CPC). One CPC has a view angle of 12 degree and output power of about
75 kW. The second CPC is part of a beam down system with output power of 300 kW. The other two
are parabolic dishes with 1.80 m diameter, they can accept only one heliostat and their output can
reach up to 12 kW.

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Table 2: Summary of the Solar Towers parameters and the targets amount.
Height (m) Sun Power/Reflective
Capacity Target
Name Partner/Country (Reflective Concentratio area Ratio
(kWt) s
area m2) n (kW/m2)
SSPS
2 000 40 (3 600) 2 500 0,556 3
CRS
PSA/Spain
80
CESA-1 5 000 2 700 0,417 5
(12 000)
115
Thémis CNRS/France 4 200 2 000 0,727 2
(5 778)
60
Jülich DLR/Germany 10 900 900 0,606 1
(18 000)

SRFU Weizmann/Israel 1 000 60 (3 584) 4 000 0,279 5

CTAER CTAER/Spain 850 58 (1 560) NA 0,544 2

3.2. Parabolic Trough Systems

Parabolic Trough (PT) systems consist of a reflective parabolic trough and a long tube placed at the
focal line of the parabolic curve. The thermal power of PT system is defined by the total aperture area.
To get the maximum yield of the land area PT units should be arranged in rows. The significant
parameters for PT systems are: the aperture area, the receiver tube length, the constructing material of
the tube, the selective coating of the tube, the tube surrounding vacuums to minimize heat losses, the
Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) and the working temperature. PT systems are built from segments. The PT
systems track the sun in one axis. The goals of RI PT system are to test and improve the HTF, tube
efficiency and the systems’ thermal energy storage units. The EU-SOLARIS partners’ PT facilities’
properties (size, location, working temperature, HTF and storage type) are summarised in Table 3.

Table 3: Summary the key properties of EU-SOLARIS partners’ parabolic troughs.

Size
Partner/ Capacity Max.
Name Length HTF Storage
Country (kWt) Temp. (°C)
(m)
DISS 2 300 700 400 Water N
HTF 500 75 420 Oil N
Innovative Fluids Test
350 50 515 NA Y
Loop PSA/Spain
FRESDEMO NA 100 450 Water N
CAPSOL NA 230 Water N
KONTAS NA 20 NA N
CNRS
CNRS 180 36 350 Oil Y
Odeillo/France

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Sopran DLR/Germany 140 13.8 200 Water N

CTAER CTAER/Spain NA NA NA NA NA
Molten
ENEA ENEA/Italy 400 100 550 Y
salt

Figure 2 shows an example of solar parabolic troughs.

Figure 2: An example of parabolic trough systems (operated by PSA).

3.3. Linear Fresnel

One Linear Fresnel research facility exists at PSA. This facility (FRESDEMO) is a demonstration device
and it has a shape similar to PT. The information of this facility appears in Table 3.

Figure 3 shows an example of Linear Fresnel research facility.

Figure 3: An example of linear fresnel (operated by PSA).

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3.4. Parabolic Dishes

Parabolic Dishes technologies include a parabolic or spherical shaped reflective area on a base with
two tracking axes and a receiver at the focal point. The significant parameters for parabolic dish are:
dish area, thermal power and the concentration factor. In a parabolic dish system the receiver moves
together with the dish movement. Each parabolic Dish area can be up to 400 m2. For high power (MW)
systems one needs a field of many parabolic dishes. EU-SOLARIS partners operate six parabolic
dishes in PSA (Spain). One dish will be built in Greece by The Aerosol & Particle Technology
Laboratory (APTL) and will be ready in 2014. Other dishes are part of a furnace or secondary
concentrators.

Figure 4 shows an example of a parabolic dish.

Figure 4: An example of parabolic dish (operated by PSA).

Table 4 summarises the EU-SOLARIS partners’ Parabolic Dishes’ main parameters. The CNRS
EuroDish can be used as a solar furnace by borrowing one heliostat from the Big Solar Furnace
heliostats field.

Table 4: Summary the EU-SOLARIS partners’ Parabolic Dishes main parameters.

Name Partner/ Country Capacity (kWt) Area (m2) Concentration

DISTAL-I 40 100 12 000
DISTAL-II 50 300 16 000
DISTAL-II 50 300 16 000
PSA/Spain
DISTAL-II 50 300 16 000
EURODISH 50 50 16 000
EURODISH 50 50 16 000
SBP EuroDish CNRS Odeillo/France 52 55 9 500

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3.5. Energy Storage.

Molten salt for energy storage system uses two salt tanks, one hot and one cold. During charging with
the concentrated solar radiation, cold molten salt is taken from the cold tank to the solar receiver, and
the resulting hot molten salt is collected in the hot tank. During discharging, to satisfy the energy
demand to drive a thermal process when solar resources are insufficient, hot molten salt is taken from
the hot tank and the resulting cold molten salt is collected in the cold tank. The benefits of using molten
salt are: the stable working temperature and the thermal salt is chemically stable for long periods of
time. The significant parameters for using molten salt system are: the storage capacity, the storage
temperature, (this temperature is above the melting point temperature of the salt), and the hot salt
corrosiveness. EU-SOLARIS partners have five research storage systems. Table 5 summarizes the
main parameters for four systems. The fifth storage system is a thermocline and located at
CNRS/France. This thermocline testing system can be filled with different types of solid material.

Table 5: Summary of the EU-SOLARIS partners’ molten salt storage system main
parameters
Capacity
Hot Storage
Partner/ Power (kWt)
Temp. (0C) Salt type Salt storage
Country /Energy
/Press.(Bars)
(MWh)
PSA/Spain 344/1,3 500/NA NA Tanks
NaNO3:
ENEA/Italy NA/1 520/NA Pool
KNO3=60:40
ENEA/Italy Verify 550/4 Verify Tank
CNRS
Est. NA/0,4 350/16 Verify Tank
Odeillo/France

3.6. Solar Furnaces

Solar furnace technology is made of two parts: one is the two axes tracking flat mirror and the second is
the static parabolic dish. The significant parameters for solar furnaces are: the mirror area, the dish
area and sun concentration. The main differences between solar furnaces and solar towers are the
uniformity of the focal shape. The solar furnace focal shape is constant but the solar tower focal shape
varies during the day. The concentrated solar radiation in the solar furnace has a higher flux but
typically lower power then in a solar tower as most solar furnaces are much smaller. There is also
another difference between parabolic dishes and solar furnaces: in solar furnaces the focal area and
the receiver are located in a fixed position, but in a parabolic dish they move during the day. A moving
receiver increases the complexity of the input and output connections. Solar furnaces power can reach
up to 1000 kW and they are currently used only for research purposes and not as commercial facilities.
EU-SOLARIS partners have 18 operational Solar Furnaces, twelve of them located at CNRS. The
CNRS EuroDish can be used as a solar furnace by borrowing one heliostat from the big solar furnace

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heliostats field, and this will add one more solar furnace. Solar furnaces research facility exists in
LNEG. This solar furnaces is outdoor device tracks the sun in two axes with a receiver at the focal
point.

Table 6 summarises the main parameters of the operational EU-SOLARIS partners’ solar furnaces.

Figure 5 shows an example of solar furnace.

Figure 5: An example of solar furnace (operated by DLR)

Table 6: Summary of the EU-SOLARIS partners’ solar furnaces main parameters.

Name Partner/ Country Power (kWt) Area (m2) Concentration

Grand Four 1 000 1 830 10 000
Verticals (8 furnaces) 1,5 and 0.8 3,1 and 1,7 16 000
Bastion (2 furnaces) CNRS Odeillo/France 1,5 3,1 16 000
6 kW 6 13 6 000
EuroDish 30 40 7 500
SF-60 60 NA 3 000
SF-5 PSA/Spain 5 NA 6 000
SF-40 40 56 6 000

Solar Furnace DLR/Germany 25 60 5 500

FF1 LNEG/Portugal 0,125 0,8126 2 500

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3.7. Solar Simulators

A Solar Simulator power source is established by lamps with a spectrum similar to the solar radiation.
Solar Simulators power can reach up to 50 kW and they are used in laboratories only as tools for
research.

Table 7 Summarize the EU-SOLARIS partners’ solar simulators’ main parameters.

Figure 6 shows an example of research solar simulators.

Figure 6: An example of a solar simulator (operated by APTL).

Table 7: Summary of the EU-SOLARIS partners’ solar simulators main parameters.

Partner/ Focal Power Flux No. of
Power (kW)
Country (MW/m2) lamps
PSA/Spain 4 4 1
APTL/Greece 20 4 11
DLR/Germany 18 3,9 10

A solar simulator is the best way to do preliminary experimental testing of new ideas. Solar simulators
allow researchers to perform experiments independently on the appearance of the sun.

3.8. Laboratories and Others Capacities.

Solar Thermal Electric (STE) systems can be an alternative energy source to fossil fuels and other
energy sources only if the price of it is economic. Price reductions can only be achieved by research
and development of new technologies. RTD in STE technology covers many disciplines including:
material science, optic and radiometry, heat transfer, chemical kinetics and thermodynamics,
meteorology, beam analysis, system control and tracking accuracy, modelling and optimization, fluid

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dynamics, calibration and measurements, and system analysis. Applied RTD starts by executing small
scale experiments in the laboratory. Scale-up of the new developed technology is based on the
experimental results. Applied RTD consists of two laboratory types: the first is the research laboratory
and the second is the testing laboratory. The development of new materials and technologies is
performed in the research laboratories. Equipment testing and calibrations are executed in testing
laboratories. Meteorology measurements must have outdoor sensors in the solar facility site.
Theoretical RTD is executed using software and matching the model’s predictions to the experimental
results. Matching between the model’s predictions and experiments results is essential to prove the
model assumptions. Laboratories for STE can be found in RI facilities and in universities with solar
research orientations. Table 8 summarises the EU-SOLARIS partners’ laboratories.

Table 8: Summary of the EU-SOLARIS partners’ laboratories.

Chemistry Meteorolo
Equipment Energy
Partner/ and gy System
Optic Radiometry Testing and Efficienc
Country Material monitorin Modelling
Calibration y
testing g

PSA/Spain Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
DLR/Germany Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
ENEA/Italy Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
LNEG/Portugal Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
APTL/Greece Y Y Y Y
CRES/Greece Y Y Y Y Y
CNRS/France Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
UEVORA/Portu
Y Y
gal
CTAER/Spain Y Y Y
METU/Turkey Y Y

This report monitors only the existing EU-SOLARIS partners’ laboratories.

(For more capacities details see Excel files available in Box1 appendix 2)

1
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4. Human Resources.
Table 9 summarises the Human Resources at the EU-SOLARIS partners. Human resource is
correlated to the facility size and activities. Scientists and Researchers are leading the visions of the
new technologies and development activities. Engineers and technicians design and execute the
experiments and the laboratories’ calibration testing. The management are mangers and secretaries.
The others are mainly students and research assistants. The percentage of scientists and researchers
in the human resource is an indication of RTD activities.

Details of the activities of each group in each facility are described in the two Excel files, available in
Box1. (See appendix 2)

Table 9: Summary of the Human Resources at the EU-SOLARIS partners

Scientists& Engineers &
Partner/ Country Management Other
researchers technicians
CNRS/France 6 30 20
PSA/Spain 14 41 10 32
METU/Turkey 3 4 5
DLR/Germany 10 80 30 5
WIS/Israel 2 5 4
APTL/Greece 3 6 6 1
SELCUK U/Turkey 2 4 5
CTAER/Spain 4 9 10 7
LNEG/Portugal 5 17 7 0
ENEA/Italy 14 37 15 9
U. Évora/ Portugal 1 9 0 0
Total 64 242 102 64

1
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5. Conclusion
This deliverable MS15 Status Report on Existing Capacities, Technological and human Resources,
leads to the following conclusions. To achieve a lower price to be able to compete with fossil fuels, CST
energy systems have to be very efficient and with a long lifetime. CST facilities’ systems contain many
sub-systems with different technologies (reflectors, motors, heat exchangers and others). To improve
CST infrastructures the research projects must cover many science topics like high temperature
material science, optic systems, energy and much more. This leads to the conclusion that the number
of R&D facilities around the world is insufficient to meet current needs. More R&D facilities mean more
human resources and a good training program.

There are commercial CST facilities based on technologies developed in RI’s. The commercial facilities
are using the same technology during their lifetime. Also commercial facilities do not have the capability
to perform experimental tests. They are devoted and constructed for profitability and not for
development research.

Table 10 contains the numbers of the research facilities among the EU-SOLARIS partners.

Table 10: The numbers of research facilities available among the EU-SOLARIS partners.
Partner/ Solar Parabolic Parabolic Solar Solar Linear
Country Towers Troughs Dishes Furnaces Simulators Fresnel
CNRS/France 1 1 1 13
PSA/Spain 2 6 6 3 1 1
METU/Turkey
DLR/Germany 1 2 1 1
WIS/Israel 1
APTL/Greece 1 1
CTAER/Spain 1 1
LNEG/Portugal 1
Total 6 10 8 18 3 1

Table 10 shows all the different CST technologies available among the EU-SOLARIS partners. Those
technologies cover a wide range of powers and sun concentrations. In this report the existing CST
technologies are summarised (more details are in the EXCEL spreadsheet). One of the aims of the EU-
SOLARIS is to improve and reduce the cost of the CST technologies. This can be done either by
centralizing or spreading the infrastructures mainly under the universities umbrella. Each methodology
has its benefits. The benefits of centralized methodology are: a) all the knowledge will be in one place;
b) it will be easier to advertise the place; and, c) it will be easier to coordinate. Most of the different RI’s

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are already located mainly in two places (PSA, CNRS). The benefits of spreading methodology are: a) it
will create simple approach to the CST facilities; b) it will attract scientists, researchers, engineers and
students to the CST technologies; and c) attracting new researchers and students will bring new ideas.
The best way to get the benefits from both methodologies is to spread the small facilities like dishes,
furnaces and laboratories, but to centralize the large facilities like central receivers. In any case
coordination should only be in one place. The objectives of a coordinator will be to gather the demands
from customers and guide them to the appropriate technology, summarise the feedback from the
customers and spread the knowledge to the EU-SOLARIS partners.

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Appendix 1: Questionnaire template.

EU-SOLARIS/WP3: Capacity Building and Services

Questionnaire WP3.1&WP3.2
Date: Jan.15, 2014

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WP3.1. Existing Facilities

3.1.1 Specify your facility type (Please add rows to the table as needed)
No. of Year of Facility Name Location Land Area
Units construction occupied
Central
receiver

Parabolic
Trough

Linear
Fresnel

Dish

Furnace

Solar
Simulator

Other

3.1.2 Add the specific technical details of each Central Receiver facility
(Please copy the following table for each facility)

Photo:

Tower height
Number of testing platforms in the tower
TOWER

Brief description of each testing platform (type of

receiver or device, available area and load for new
equipment)
Number of heliostats and field arrangement
Maximum distance between heliostats and tower
SOLAR
FIELD

Heliostats size
Heliostat type
Nominal power on Target [kW]
OPTICS

Total reflective Area [m2]

Reflectivity of Reflective Area (when Clean)

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Peak flux on target [kW/m2]

Maximum Sun concentration
Is there any qualification system for heliostats? Please
describe it:
EQUIPMENT

Is there any flux measurement system available? Please

describe it:
Is the Tower provided with a Lambertian target? Please
describe it:
Any special feature? Please describe it:

3.1.3 Add the specific technical details of each Parabolic Trough facility
(Please copy the following table for each facility)

Photo:

Total number of collectors

COLLECTOR

Type of collector (manufacturer – model)

Collector length/width (m)
Collector orientation
Type of Receiver (manufacturer – model)
Working fluid
HTF

Nominal output temperature

Nominal output pressure
Nominal power on Target [kW]
Total reflective Area [m 2]
OPTICS

Reflectivity of Reflective Area (when Clean)

Peak flux on target [kW/m2]
Maximum Sun concentration
Is there any power conversion system? Please
describe it:
EQUIPMENT

Is there any thermal energy storage? Please

describe it:
Type of thermal storage system Please describe it:
Capacity of the thermal storage system (MWhth)
Any special feature? Please describe it:

3.1.4 Add the specific technical details of each Linear Fresnel facility
(Please copy the following table for each facility)

Photo:

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Number of parallel rows

Length and width of each row (m)
SYSTEM
SOLAR

Row orientation
Type of receiver
Secondary concentration at the receiver?
Working fluid
HTF

Nominal output temperature

Nominal output pressure
Nominal power on Target [kW]
Total reflective Area [m 2]
OPTICS

Reflectivity of Reflective Area (when Clean)

Peak flux on target [kW/m2]
Maximum Sun concentration
Is there any power conversion system? Please
describe it:
EQUIPMENT

Is there any thermal energy storage? Please describe

it:
Type of thermal storage system Please describe it:
Capacity of the thermal storage system (MWhth)
Any special feature? Please describe it:

3.1.5 Add the specific technical details of each Parabolic Dish facility
(Please copy the following table for each facility)

Photo:

Number of dishes
Type of concentrator (manufacturer – model)
DISH

Concentrator geometry
Concentrator length & width / equivalent diameter (m)
Concentrator size (reflecting surface, m 2)
Is there any power conversion system? Please
describe it:
Type of PCS (thermodynamic cycle)
PCS

Manufacturer and model

Nominal power [kW]
Working fluid
Nominal power on Target [kW]
Total reflective Area [m 2]
OPTICS

Reflectivity of Reflective Area (when Clean)

Peak flux on target [kW/m2]
Maximum Sun concentration

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Any special feature? Please describe it:

3.1.6 Add the specific technical details of each Solar Furnace facility
(Please copy the following table for each facility)

Photo:

Type of Hel –Dish system (vertical/horizontal/other)

HEL – DISH
SYSTEM

Dish size (m 2)
Concentrator length & width / equivalent diameter
(m)
Nominal power on Target [kW]
Total reflective Area [m 2] (Hel. / Dish) ( / )
OPTICS

Reflectivity when Clean [%] (Hel. / Dish) ( / )

Peak flux on target [kW/m2]
Diameter of image focus [m]
Maximum Sun concentration
Is there any shutter system? Please describe it:
EQUIPM
ENT

Range of attenuation [min % - max %]

Is there any test bench? Please describe it:
Any special feature? Please describe it:

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3.1.6 Add the specific technical details of each Solar Simulator facility
(Please copy the following table for each facility)

Photo:

Type of lamps
SOURCE

No. of lamps
LIGHT

Nominal power of each lamp

Type of reflector and lens
Nominal power on Target [kW]
Peak flux on target [kW/m2]
OPTICS

Aperture [m2]
Maximum Sun concentration
Any special feature? Please describe it:

3.1.7 Add the specific technical details of each facility not included in previous subsections
(Please copy the following table for each facility)

Photo:

Description:
CHARACTERISTICS
MAIN

3.1.8 Specify your Secondary Optic Device

No. Of Concentration Flux Power Output Power Input
Units Ratio [kw/m2] [KW] [KW]
CPC
Dish
Beam Down

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3.1.9 Specify your auxiliary infrastructure

Capacity (specify
SUPPLY NETWORK Available Comments
units)
Power
Data (wired or wireless)
Cooling
Water
Demineralized Water
Compressed air
Other
Capacity (specify
GENERAL EQUIPMENT No. Of Units Comments
units)
Cleaning system
Lift equipment (boom lift,
scissor lift, etc.)
Mechanical Workshop
Electrical Workshop
Assembly Workshop
Material storage
CCTV / Private security
Other
SPECIFIC FACILITY
EQUIPMENT Facility in which Capacity (specify
Comments
(Please add rows to the table is located units)
as needed)
Crane

Elevator

Steam generator

Power conversion system

Other

3.1.10 Specify your Meteorological monitoring facility

No. of
measuring Type of measuring device (Model)
devices
Direct Radiation 
Global Radiation 
Diffuse Radiation 
Infrared Radiation 
Ambient temperature 
Barometric Pressure 
Humidity 
Wind Speed & 
Direction
Sun Shape 
Other

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3.1.11 For each type of concentrator, describe your available methods of:
CRS (Heliostats)

1: Assembly:

2: Canting:

3: Tracking adjustment:

4: Mirror cleaning:

PTC (Trough collector)

1: Assembly:

2: Canting:

3: Tracking adjustment:

4: Mirror cleaning:

PD (Parabolic Dish)

1: Assembly:

2: Canting:

3: Tracking adjustment:

4: Mirror cleaning:

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3.1.12 Specify the activity at your facility

Estimated %
Comments
over the total
Research projects 
Collaboration with industry 
Education 
International collaboration 
inside, outside Europe
Other

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3.1.13 Specify the measuring equipment

Type of
OPTICAL QUALITY ANALYZERS Comments
system/device
Pyrometry 
Radiometry 
Reflectivity 
Beam quality 
Heliostat quality 
Flux 
Calorimeter 
IR Device 
Fiber optic 
Other
CHEMISTRY AND Type of
Comments
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY system/device
Mass spectrometry 
optical spectroscopy 
IR gas analysis 
Gas chromatography 
XRD 
Other

3.1.14 Specify the types of modeling data codes

Type of code /
Comments
software used
Optic calculations 
Heat balance 
Computational Fluid Dynamics 
Power block analysis 
Chemical process simulation 
Solar resource 
Global performance of the 
plant
Other

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3.1.16 List the services you are currently offering (one text-line per service, please add
lines if necessary)

3.1.17. Describe your recommendations for UPGRADING your existing facilities

Central receiver
Parabolic troughs
Parabolic dishes
Solar furnaces
Solar simulators
Thermal storage
Auxiliary infrastructure
Meteorological monitoring
facility
Measuring equipment
Modeling codes /
software
Other

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3.1.18 List the services you would offer with the proposed upgrading of your facilities
(one text-line per service, please add lines if necessary)

3.1.19 Describe your recommendations you would offer for NEW facilities
Central receiver
Parabolic troughs
Parabolic dishes
Solar furnaces
Solar simulators
Thermal storage
Auxiliary infrastructure
Meteorological monitoring
facility
Measuring equipment
Modeling codes /
software
Other
3.1.20 List the services you would offer with the new facilities requested (one text-line
per service, please add lines if necessary)

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WP3.2 Human Resources

3.2.1 Specify the human resources working in your EXISTING facility

Management and administration
Personnel number
Education
Activities
Scientists & Researchers
Personnel number
Education
Activities
Engineers & Technicians
Personnel number
Education
Activities
Other
Personnel number
Education
Activities

3.2.2 Specify the manpower requirements for the proposed upgrading of your facilities
Management and administration
Personnel number
Education
Activities
Scientists & Researchers
Personnel number
Education
Activities
Engineers & Technicians
Personnel number
Education
Activities
Other
Personnel number
Education
Activities

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3.2.3. Specify the manpower requirements you would offer for the NEW facilities
requested
Management and administration
Personnel number
Education
Activities
Scientists & Researchers
Personnel number
Education
Activities
Engineers & Technicians
Personnel number
Education
Activities
Other
Personnel number
Education
Activities

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Appendix 2: Replies to the

questionnaire.
More detailed information about the facilities capacities can be found in the two Excel files uploaded to
Box. One file contains the replies to the questionnaire from the EU-SOLARIS partners, named EU-
SOLARIS_MS15-EUPartnersfacilities.xlsx. The other file contains the replies to the questionnaire from
the non-EU-SOLARIS partners, named EU-SOLARIS_MS15-othersfacilities.xlsx

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Appendix 3: Preliminary list of

contact peoples in RI facilities
around the world.

First Country /
Last name name Sponsor Affiliation Function SP
Stein Wesley Australia CSIRO ExCo Representative
Zillner Theodor Austria BMVIT ExCo Representative
Höller Robert Austria FH Wels ExCo Alternate
Wang Zhifeng China CAS IEE ExCo Representative
Serra Eduardo Brazil CEPEL ExCo Representative
Eduardo
dos
Reis Vieira Santos Brazil CEPEL ExCo Alternate
Egypt NREA ExCo Alternate
Céline Coulaud France ADEME ExCo Alternate
Ramos Carlos Mexico IIE ExCo Alternate
Yong- Republic of
Kang Heack Korea KIER ExCo Alternate
Republic of
KIM Bo Kyoung Korea KEMCO ExCo Representative
Rajpaul Vikesh South Africa ESKOM ExCo Alternate
Renaud Pierre Switzerland Planair ExCo Alternate
Al Obaidli Abdul Aziz UAE MASDAR ExCo Representative
Pitchumani Ranga USA DoE ExCo Representative
Mehos Mark USA NREL OA Task I
Inha
Seo Taebeom Korea University Guest

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List of abbreviations and definitions

CPC Compounds Parabolic Concentrators

CST Concentrating Solar Thermal and Solar Chemistry technologies

DoW Description of Work

EC European Commission

EU European Union

FP Framework Programme

FP7 Seven Framework Programme

HTF Heat Transfer Fluid

MS Milestone

N No

NA Not Avalibale

PT Prabolic Troughs

RI Research Infrastructure

RTD Research and Technological Development

WP Work Package

Y Yes

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