Standards for components in concentrating solar thermal power plants - status of the Spanish working group

Today Spain is still the worldwide leader in the use of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technology with more than 2300 MW installed solar thermal power rated in 2015, compared to the 4600 MW installed worldwide. In order to improve the quality of current plants and require the best quality for future plants, the subcommittee SC 117 “Thermoelectric Solar Energy Systems”, which is part of the committee AEN/CTN 206 for electricity production, works on different aspects of the plants since 2010. This paper gives an overview of the state of the publications in draft to qualify the performance and the durability of the main components of the solar field (receiver tubes, solar tracking systems, reflectors, heat transfer fluids, collectors and specific sensors). A summary of the main tests set for each component in the future Spanish standards is presented. The first complete standard drafts will be ready by the end of the current year 2015 and most are expected to be published within the following years.