{"id":21000,"date":"2026-09-29T10:06:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T02:06:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/edic\/?page_id=21000"},"modified":"2026-09-29T10:06:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T02:06:40","slug":"scalable-csp","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cde.nus.edu.sg\/edic\/projects\/innovating-for-sustainable-cities\/scalable-csp\/","title":{"rendered":"Scalable concentrated solar power"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\t\tScalable concentrated solar power\t<\/h2>\n
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Producing hot water can contribute significantly to a hotel’s electricity consumption, particularly where large volumes are required every day. Developed in collaboration with E&ST Environmental, this project explores a scalable concentrated solar power (CSP) system for a hotel in Tanjung Balai, Indonesia, using freely available solar energy to reduce the electricity required for water heating.<\/p>\n

The system uses reflectors to concentrate sunlight<\/strong> onto receivers that heat water, coupled with thermal energy storage<\/strong> (TES) to maintain useful temperatures over an extended period. Prototype testing successfully kept 10 litres of water at or above 40\u00b0C for nine hours, reaching a maximum temperature of 90\u00b0C. The final proposed design scales this concept to 126 modular solar-collector islands, each comprising six receivers and reflectors connected to a 60-litre TES unit, with two central hot-water storage tanks serving the hotel.<\/p>\n

Designed to meet the hotel’s demand for water at 40-45\u00b0C, the proposed system demonstrates how concentrated solar energy and thermal storage can provide a reliable and scalable alternative for hot-water production. The project estimates that its implementation could reduce electricity costs <\/strong>by approximately 10%, demonstrating the potential of renewable thermal-energy technologies to make everyday building operations more sustainable and affordable.<\/p>\nFind out more about this project!<\/a>\n\t

Project Team<\/h3>\n

Students:<\/h4>\n