This free course, delivered by PROMES CNRS within the framework of the SOLARIZE project, is directed to engineers, researchers and representatives from European CST industry and companies who want to be trained on CST systems.
📅 Date: 7th to 9th July 2026
Location: PROMES-CNRS, Font Romeu Odeillo, France
👉 Registration, agenda and more details available via the event page: Solar concentrating systems and their performance – Solarize
The course will include theoretical and practical modules covering the following topics:
- Concentrated Solar Optics Basics for non-specialists
- Introduction to optical principles relevant to concentrating solar systems.
- Hands-on session: Simple calculation and ray-tracing software tools for system design and analysis.
- Optical instruments for performance evaluation
- Power measurement techniques for solar thermal systems.
- Temperature measurement and monitoring for solar thermal applications: IR camera, pyrometry.
- Hands-on session: camera-based power distribution of a solar furnace with a camera, associated data analysis.
- Lifetime and Maintenance of Concentrated Solar Plants
- In-field feedback and case studies from commercial operator eLlo.
- Presentation and discussion about existing and requested standards for concentrating solar systems.
- Technical visits
- eLlo Commercial Plant: 10 MWe linear Fresnel system with direct steam generation.
- CNRS Big Solar Furnace (Odeillo): 1 MWth high-flux solar furnace for research and industrial testing.
- CNRS Thémis Solar Tower: 5 MWth facility featuring the Powder2Power process demonstrator for industrial heat and PV-hybrid electricity (1.2 MWe turbine).