The United States has emerged as a leader in the new global energy economy, with the development of super-scale CSP plants set to revolutionize energy markets in the US.

Recently announced figures show there is 10,989MW of capacity in development today, and with $ 4.85bn of co-financing mobilized CSP looks set to dominate the renewable energy market in the US.

However, despite this progress the long-term sustainability of CSP is by no means guaranteed. Reducing LCOE is a priority if CSP has any hope of competing with the dwindling prices and fierce competition from photovoltaics. In addition, 100MW+ projects like those being built in the US are new territory for all involved and success will come down to mastering the design, construction and operation of large-scale plants. Now more than ever it is essential that the industry utilizes its past experience to take its place as a renewables heavyweight.

In a recent interview with CSP Today, Ken Anderson (Plant Manager, Cogentrix Energy) commented that "as plants become larger, the failure rate of projects increases". To tackle this problem, the 2nd CSP Plant Optimization USA Conference has been launched, taking place September 7-8 in San Francisco. The event will bring together technical experts, and show attendees how to design and construct super-scale CSP plants for maximum efficiency and ROI. Organizers CSP Today have spoken to companies with proven experience in plant construction and operation, as well as component manufacturers developing products for 100MW+ projects.

Event organizer Jack Ahearne said that "getting all this expertise together under one roof will offer developers & EPCs the opportunity to streamline their design, construction & engineering methods, to develop sure-fire strategies that will guarantee the success of 100MW+ projects in the US".

Key themes include "Plant Design to Maximize Output" (Solar Millennium, Albiasa Solar), "Operations & Maintenance in Large-scale CSP" (NextEra Energy Resources, Cogentrix) & "Dispatchability & Storage Solutions for 100MW+ Projects" (Abener, DLR). Every aspect of large-scale plant optimization will be covered in detail, giving delegates the chance to finalize their design, construction & BoP engineering strategies.

The event is set to take place on September 7-8 in San Francisco, with over 150+ delegates in attendance. For more details about the event go to the website:

www.csptoday.com/optimizationusa

Or contact:

Jack Ahearne

Global Events Director
CSP Today
jack@csptoday.com

+44 (0) 20 7375 7556
US toll free: 1800 814 3459 ex: 7556