After four years the research project Plastics-based solar-thermal systems (SolPol 1 and 2) is about to end. The main purpose has beento develop a new type of plastics-based solar-thermal collectors.
The state with the biggest share of the market is still Hawaii. The number of solar water heaters that the three public utility companies Heco, Helco and Meco rebated even grew by 55 %, to 8,207 systems in 2008 (2007: 5,295 systems).
The SEGS power plants were built in the Californian Mojave Desert in the mid-1980s. Skyfuel has now signed an agreement with the owner, Sunray Energy, for the integration of an array of its innovative collectors into the power plant. According to a Sunfuel press release, it is the first commercial installation of this new collector type.
The company, headquartered in Tel Aviv, will operate under the name of Solar Millennium Israel, Ltd. and develop solar thermal power plants in Israel.
This money will be used to fund a feasibility study dealing with the construction of a 5 MW demonstration power plant. The 5 MW project will be followed by one or several 46 MW power stations in the Ma’an development zone. The power station equipment will be supplied by eSolar from the Californian city of Pasadena.
For the construction of the parabolic trough power plant with an electric output of 50 MW, Ferrostaal, together with experienced partners, has taken on the role of the general contractor for engineering, procurement and construction. Ferrostaal is implementing Andasol 3 together with RWE Innogy, RheinEnergie, Solar Millennium and Stadtwerke München (Munich City Utilities).
The plant will be built in Badajoz, Spain, and use parabolic trough technology. The 50 MW Axtesol-2 power plant is one of three pre-assigned projects from the Spanish Ministry of Industry, in accordance with the Royal Decree 6/2009. Aries plans to complete the facility before December 31st 2012.
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Here you can find a small selection of comprehensive market overvies from the solar thermal sector:
Market Overview: Vacuum Tube Collectors
Market Overview: Flat Plate Collectors
Market Overview: Solar Stations
Photovoltaic Feed