What is the difference between the terms “solar thermal power,” “concentrating solar power,” and “CSP”?
Solar thermal power is sometimes called concentrating solar power or CSP. These labels refer to technologies that use the energy of the sun to produce steam, directly or indirectly. The steam is then piped to a convention power generation system to make electricity. The difference between a solar thermal plant and a conventional fossil-fueled power plant is that conventional plants create steam by burning fuels that release carbon into the atmosphere.
