Optimizing the design and engineering of large-scale plants is a top priority for the CSP industry in the United States

As leading technical experts in the solar industry prepare to meet at the 2nd CSP Plant Optimization Summit on 7-8 September, Arturo Alvarez, Project Development Manager at Albiasa Solar has outlined the importance of such an event in overcoming the challenges faced in large-scale CSP. In a recent interview with CSP Today Alvarez gave a preview of what he will present at the conference and outlined the main challenges in modelling large-scale plants and why this is crucial for projects in the US.

Albiasa Solar are a leading CSP technology supplier with experience throughout Europe and the United States, and Alvarez has played a pivotal role in both the company's CSP and Photovoltaic North American operations with experience in field design and layout, and Balance of Plant engineering.

Alvarez stated that "in the US the market for renewable energy is on a competitive price basis" and that "in order for a CSP plant to be competitive in this type of market the LCOE becomes a vital parameter of each project". He stressed that "effectively modelling a plant in its early phases can be difficult because developers and EPC groups want to be conservative in their model output and that this can affect the LCOE in a negative manner". Alvarez argued that the main challenges in accurately modelling plants is that as large-scale projects become more materialized they merit a deeper analyses and therefore more complex models to take a number of factors into account. With respect to project permitting, procurement and design Alvarez argued that the "main problem large-scale CSP has encountered revolve around the magnitude of the plants being built in the US".

Arturo Alvarez will present his innovative paper focusing on advances in plant modelling at the 2nd CSP Plant Optimization Summit in San Francisco on 7-8 September. His presentation will address:

First generation vs. modern designs – looking at how new generation modelling has the potential to guarantee the long-term performance of CSP projects
Methods of analyses of early-stage plant models that will lead to streamlined project construction
Applying modelling methodology to plant design processes and minimizing component costs

Other notable technical sessions come from Bechtel – "Ivanpah – Design & Integration of Power Tower Plants" and Fichtner Solar – "Andasol I & II- Entire Performance Test Results". To see the interview with Arturo Alvarez in full visit the conference website below:
www.csptoday.com/optimizationusa/albiasa.shtml

For more information about the conference, please visit: http://www.csptoday.com/optimizationusa/

Or alternatively contact Jack Ahearne on +44 (0) 207 375 7556 or jack@csptoday.com