A unique concentrated solar photovoltaic (CSPV) power tower was unveiled in Newbridge, Victoria today, paving the way for the deployment of utility-scale CSPV power stations in Australia and overseas.
ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht congratulated RayGen Resources on the $3.6 million pre-commercial pilot project, which was supported by $1.7 million funding from ARENA.
“The grid-connected power station is operational and will supply 200 kilowatts to a local agriculture business,” Mr Frischknecht said.
“RayGen has already received international orders for the technology, which has the potential to reduce the cost of solar-based electricity.
“This is a great example of how ARENA support has helped deliver valuable Australian IP with the potential to create exports and hundreds of new jobs.”
Mr Frischknecht said the completion of the pilot project marked a significant milestone and would help advance a more affordable and flexible energy future for Australia.
“RayGen’s CSPV technology uses an array of sun-tracking heliostat mirrors to focus sunlight onto a very efficient central receiver” Mr Frischknecht said.
“The receiver converts a high proportion of sunlight to power while an advanced cooling system keeps it from overheating.
“The technology requires a smaller amount of space per kilowatt of capacity compared to existing concentrating solar thermal technologies.
“The pilot plant is providing data on performance, reliability, operations and maintenance that can be used for the development of a commercial scale CSPV system.
“These outcomes will be shared with the broader energy industry to help break down the barriers that are facing the advancement of CSPV.
“There are also links with the ARENA-supported record-breaking ‘Power Cube’ that achieved more than 40 per cent efficiency last year and was developed by the University of New South Wales in collaboration with RayGen.
“With further development, RayGen could potentially take the PowerCube technology from the laboratory into the field for future CSPV plants.”
About Raygen Resources
Established in Melbourne, Australia in 2010, RayGen has developed the world’s lowest-cost energy technology solution that is revolutionising the clean energy sector. The technology is powered by advanced semiconductor devices produced in Melbourne, Australia, with the remainder of the system manufactured in-market where the system is deployed.
This approach enables significant scaling up of production at low cost. In 2014, the company won the Energy Technology Award and the inaugural People’s Choice Award at the Australia Technologies Competition, and it claimed the grand prize at the prestigious CleanTech Cluster Association Awards held in Switzerland, beating a field of more than 10,000 of the world’s most innovative cleantech companies.
RayGen has received funding support from ARENA and the Victorian Government for the development of its innovative utility scale energy solution for both domestic and offshore markets.
