Promoting the development of distributed concentrated solar thermal technology in China

Solar energy is increasingly essential to fortify energy security and promote Chinese socio-economic development. The applications of solar thermal energy in China are mainly centralized at low and medium temperature, such as solar water heating, solar cooling and air conditioning, building heating, solar drying and solar power generating. Based on the reality in China, it is presented in this paper that China should promote the distributed concentrated solar thermal (DCST) technology, especially in the industrial field. This technology, which has the potential to reduce the high cost of DCST and overcome the intermittent output of solar energy, is discussed in this paper, as well as how to put DCST technology forward and enlarge scale deployment in China. Finally, it is hoped that suggestions in this paper could be helpful to the researchers, designers and policy-makers who are involving in this field.