SUNSON defines its key objectives to deliver next-generation dispatchable solar power

The SUNSON project is moving from theoretical concept to tangible reality. With a clear roadmap ahead, the consortium has defined a set of ambitious objectives that will guide its work towards delivering a new generation of dispatchable solar power.

The first major milestone is the development of a complete solar-to-heat-to-power prototype, which will provide the scientific proof-of-concept for the project’s novel technology. Alongside this, the team is engineering an advanced thermal storage system based on Phase Change Materials (PCM), which will serve as the core of the system.

A central deliverable of the project is the SUNSON-BOX, a compact flagship demonstrator that integrates Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), PCM-based thermal storage, and Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) conversion into a single system. Complementing this, the SUNSON-TOOL will provide a digital intelligence support platform to optimise the integration of the technology and assess its replicability and feasibility across different scenarios.

Finally, the project will conduct a comprehensive sustainability assessment covering the environmental, technical, social, and economic dimensions of the SUNSON solutions, ensuring that its impact goes beyond the laboratory.

Together, these objectives represent a critical step towards strengthening European industrial leadership in renewable energy.