Systems that use mirrors or lenses along with tracking equipment to direct a large area of sunlight onto a small area are called Concentrated Solar Power systems or CSP. Â Conventional power plants then use this concentrated light as a heat source. Often photovoltaic surfaces are also exposed to the concentrated light.
It is steam that is used in CSP for the generation of electricity and renewable heat. The various types of concentrating technologies include Solar Chimney, solar power tower, Dish Stirling, parabolic trough and Concentrating Linear Fresnel Reflector. Each system has a unique process of tracking and focusing light but all are similar in the fact that they produce high temperatures and high thermodynamic efficiencies. Innovations in this field are helping make the technology more cost effective and viable to a larger population.
