Here Comes Concentrating Solar Power For Your Industrial Heat

The article highlights the advancements and growing potential of concentrating solar power (CSP) technology for industrial heat applications, focusing on the US startup GlassPoint. Unlike conventional solar panels that generate electricity, GlassPoint’s technology uses enclosed trough mirrors inside greenhouses to concentrate sunlight onto pipes carrying liquid salt, producing heat for industrial processes and onsite power generation. Their system also incorporates a thermal storage solution using ternary liquid salts, enabling continuous heat and power supply day and night. GlassPoint recently raised $20 million in funding to expand its operations domestically and internationally, targeting regions with optimal solar conditions such as the US Southwest, southern Europe, the Middle East, and South America. The company emphasizes the significance of industrial process heat, which accounts for 26% of global energy use—more than all electricity combined—and is challenging to decarbonize due to the low cost of fossil fuels for heat generation. GlassPoint’s projects include a 750-megawatt solar thermal plant for Searles Valley Minerals