STAGE-STE

EUROPEAN ENERGY RESEARCH ALLIANCE

Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy encompasses Solar Thermal Electricity (STE), Solar Fuels, Solar Process Heat and Solar Desalination that are called to play a major role in attaining energy sustainability in our modern societies due to their unique features:

1) Solar energy offers the highest renewable energy potential to our planet;
2) STE can provide dispatchable power in a technically and economically viable way, by means of thermal energy storage and/or hybridization, e.g. with biomass.

However, significant research efforts are needed to achieve this goal. This Integrated Research Programme (IRP) engages all major European research institutes, with relevant and recognized activities on STE and related technologies, in an integrated research structure to successfully accomplish the following general objectives:

a) Convert the consortium into a reference institution for concentrating solar energy research in Europe, creating a new entity with effective governance structure;
b) Enhance the cooperation between EU research institutions participating in the IRP to create EU added value;
c) Synchronize the different national research programs to avoid duplication and to achieve better and faster results;
d) Accelerate the transfer of knowledge to industry in order to maintain and strengthen the existing European industrial leadership in STE;
e) Expand joint activities among research centres by offering researchers and industry a comprehensive portfolio of research capabilities, bringing added value to innovation and industry-driven technology;
f) Establish the European reference association for promoting and coordinating international cooperation in concentrating solar energy research.

To that end, this IRP promotes Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and, in parallel, performs Coordinated Projects (CP) covering the full spectrum of current concentrating solar energy research topics, selected to provide the highest EU added value and filling the gaps among national programs.

CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES ENERGETICAS, MEDIOAMBIENTALES Y TECNOLOGICAS - DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FÜR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV - PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT - CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE - FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V - AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILE - EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZURICH - COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES - THE CYPRUS INSTITUTE LIMITED - LABORATORIO NACIONAL DE ENERGIA E GEOLOGIA I.P. - CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE - FUNDACION CENER-CIEMAT - FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH INNOVATION - UNIVERSIDADE DE EVORA - FUNDACION IMDEA ENERGIA - CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY - FUNDACION TEKNIKER - UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PALERMO - CENTRO DI RICERCA, SVILUPPO E STUDI SUPERIORI IN SARDEGNA - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO - ASSOCIACAO DO INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TECNICO PARA A INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO - SENER INGENIERIA Y SISTEMAS S.A. - ACCIONA ENERGIA S.A. - SCHOTT SOLAR CSP GMBH - ARCHIMEDE SOLAR ENERGY SRL - EUROPEAN SOLAR THERMAL ELECTRICITY ASSOCIATION - ABENGOA SOLAR NEW TECHNOLOGIES SA - KING SAUD UNIVERSITY - UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE MEXICO - STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY - CENTRE FOR SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCH AND STUDIES - COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION - FUNDACAO DE APOIO A UNIVERSIDADE DE SAO PAULO - INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES - UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE - UNIVERSITE CADI AYYAD - FONDAZIONE BRUNO KESSLER - COBRA INSTALACIONES Y SERVICIOS S.A. - SUNCNIM - UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA.

STAGE-STE - Scientific and Technological Alliance for Guaranteeing the European Excellence in Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy