Advances in Concentrating Solar Thermal Research and Technology

18.6. Conclusions and future trends

Solar energy is by far the most abundant source of renewable energy and, as such, will naturally play a major role in the future global energy system. Rapidly decreasing costs of PV as well as concentrated solar thermal electricity have resulted in a rapid expansion of solar electric power generation. As a result, to date, solar energy has been mainly associated with electricity production. However, the majority of today's energy supplies come in the form of hydrocarbon fuels rather than electricity. Major energy-intensive sectors and applications include transportation, metal and steel production, cement production, and ammonia production. Concentrated solar energy is a vast but—until today—largely untapped ...