National Concentrating Solar Research Infrastructure for sustainable energy production and storage

The “Archimedes” Research Infrastructure, has been included in the National Roadmap of Research Infrastructures and funded within the «PROMETHEUS : A Research Infrastructure for the Integrated Energy Chain» Project, under the Action “Reinforcement of the Research and Innovation Infrastructure” of NSRF 2014-2020.
Its main objective is the formation of a pole of technological and scientific excellence in the field of utilization of thermal energy produced by concentrating solar systems. It focuses in particular on concentrating systems for meeting thermal loads in the temperature range of 100°C – 300°C, with potential applications in the:
• Industrial Sector (Process Heat)
• Power generation based on organic-fluid thermodynamic cycles
• Building Sector (Heating Cooling)
• Tourism Sector (Hotel Units)
• Agricultural Sector (Drying, Greenhouses)
The main concentration technologies are based on parabolic-trough collectors and linear Fresnel-reflector systems. Furthermore, thermal energy storage technologies for the medium-temperature range are investigated, both of the sensible- and the latent-heat type (phase-change materials), along with the development of new, advanced heat transfer fluids for concentrating solar systems.
The development of such an infrastructure in Greece aims at creating new growth opportunities for the national solar industry through the transition to concentrating technologies, as well as at the fostering of collaboration between research groups from various research institutes and universities active in related subject areas. This will, in turn, create prospects for further improvements in the national energy mix, towards a more significant contribution of solar energy.