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Innovations in Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Generation and Thermal Energy Storage

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 November 2025 | Viewed by 75

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Center for Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Interests: concentrated solar power; thermal energy storage; particle flows

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is difficult to envision a sustainable energy future without the integration of concentrated solar thermal power (CSP/CST) and thermal energy storage (TES) technologies. CSP/CST systems are increasingly being deployed not only in traditional utility-scale power generation but also in emerging applications such as industrial process heat, hybrid renewable systems, and long-duration energy storage solutions. This growing interest has driven advances in receiver designs, solar field optics, high-temperature materials, heat transfer fluids, thermal storage media, system integration, and control strategies.

At the same time, the need for cost-effective, dispatchable renewable energy has accelerated innovation in TES technologies that enhance CSP/CST’s ability to provide round-the-clock power. Developments in particle-based storage, molten salt systems, phase change materials, and thermochemical storage are enabling higher operating temperatures, improved efficiency, and more flexible energy delivery.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to the design, modeling, experimental validation, techno-economic evaluation, and application of CSP/CST and TES systems for modern energy infrastructures.

Topics of interest for publication may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Advanced solar receiver concepts and heat transfer enhancements;
  • Particle-based and high-temperature TES technologies;
  • Optical design and solar field optimization;
  • Novel reflector, heliostat, and concentrator configurations;
  • System-level modeling and performance analysis of CSP/CST plants;
  • Hybridization of CSP/CST with other renewable energy systems;
  • Materials development for high-temperature and corrosion resistance;
  • Integration of TES in industrial heat and grid-scale applications;
  • Techno-economic and lifecycle assessments of CSP/CST/TES technologies;
  • Thermal storage innovations for flexible and dispatchable power generation;
  • Experimental studies and pilot-scale demonstrations.

Dr. Shin Young Jeong
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • concentrating solar power
  • thermal energy storage
  • heat transfer fluid
  • renewable energy
  • industrial heat
  • technoeconomic analysis

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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