Parabolic-Trough Technology Roadmap : A Pathway for Sustained Commercial Development and Deployment of Parabolic-Trough Technology

Technology roadmapping is a needs-driven technology planning process to help identify, select, and develop technology alternatives to satisfy a set of market needs. The DOE's Office of Power Technologies' Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Program recently sponsored a technology roadmapping workshop for parabolic trough technology. The workshop was attended by an impressive cross section of industry and research experts. The goals of the workshop were to evaluate the market potential for trough power projects, develop a better understanding of the current state of the technology, and to develop a conceptual plan for advancing the state of the parabolic trough technology. This report documents and extends the roadmap that was conceptually developed during the workshop.