STAGE-STE Project

Acronym of Scientific and Technological Alliance for Guaranteeing the European Excellence in Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy (Grant agreement no: 609837). It is a FP7-ENER RGY-2013 - IRP project with CIEMAT coordinator - Plataforma Solar de Almeria. The project started on 1st February 2014 and lasted for 4 years.
Official Site.
STAGE-STE on CORDIS

The concentration of solar thermal energy includes the generation of Electricity from Solar Thermal (STE), the generation of fuels, the study of solar heat processes and solar desalination, which are called to play an important role in achieving energy sustainability in our modern societies thanks to their unique characteristics:

1. Solar energy offers the highest renewable energy potential for our planet;
2. STE can provide energy that can be distributed in a technically and economically feasible way, through thermal energy storage and / or hybridization systems, eg with biomass.

However, significant research efforts are needed to achieve this.

The proposal engaged all the main European research institutes, with relevant and recognized activities on STE and related technologies, in an integrated research structure to successfully achieve the following general objectives:

• Convert the consortium into a reference body to focus research on solar energy in Europe, creating a new entity with an effective governance structure.
• Improve cooperation between EU research institutions participating in the proposal to create European added value.
• Synchronize the different national research programs to avoid duplication and to achieve better and faster results.
• Accelerate the transfer of knowledge to industry in order to maintain and strengthen the existing European industrial leadership in STE.
• Expand joint activities between research centers, offering researchers and industry a comprehensive portfolio of research capabilities, bringing added value from innovation and technology driven by industry needs.
• Establish the European reference association to promote and coordinate cooperation.

To this end, the proposal promoted coordination and support actions (CSA) and Coordinated Projects (CP) were carried out in parallel which covered the entire spectrum of current research topics on concentrated solar energy, selected to provide the highest value to the EU and fill gaps between national programs.

The National Institute of Optics was the leader of a set of 5 Institutes participating in the research: CNR - INO (National Institute of Optics), CNR - ISM (Institute of Structure of Matter), CNR - ISTEC (Institute of Science and Technology on Ceramic Materials), CNR - IRC (Combustion Research Institute), CNR - IM (Motors Institute).

The combined experience of the various Institutes has included: Optics, with optical design and material characterization; Ceramics, whith expertise from basic science to the set-up and optimization of new synthesis methods, all lead to the creation of real components; Thin film materials, with production studies and property characterization; Study of combustion processes, with accumulation of thermal energy based on a fluidized bed; Nanostructures, both for production and for studies on the characteristics of metal and carbon nanostructures.