The Cyprus Institute is continuing its research for the co-generation concept. In this second phase of the CSP-DSW project and based on the results of the techno-economic feasibility study of phase 1, the research group is focusing on the advancement of existing and development of new designs for various subsystems suitable for island environments.

The main projects of the Solar Energy and Desalination Group (SED) are:

• Design, development and testing of a new, more sophisticated research grade Heliostat that will be able to withstand the corrosive and harsh environment of Cyprus coastline, with better efficiency, innovative solar collection and precise tracking.
• Development and testing of the Advanced MED system introduced by the CSP-DSW study for the production of water utilizing steam produced by solar power. The system on a smaller scale has been constructed and experimental validation of theoretical results is currently taking place.
• Development of an innovative Integrated STOrage and REceiver (i-STORE) for CSP applications. The i-STORE provides a compact solution for both capturing solar radiation directed by the heliostat field and for thermal storage without any need for complex engineering or heat transfer solutions. A more detailed description on the i-STORE concept can be found in this working document.
• Assembly and testing at the Cyprus Institute’s Solar Field Laboratory at Pentacomo, of a Fully Integrated CSP-DSW unit as a proof of concept for the proposed pilot unit. This research will be realized through the STEP-EW project awarded to the institute.
• Develop further the Financial Analysis of the CSP-DSW solution for the environment of Cyprus and other countries of the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East. The goal is to establish the base-line conditions for the economic viability of the solution in a multitude of environments given various sets of economic incentives, needs and established policies.