On September 12, the 9th Advanced Training Course on Solar Thermal Power Generation Technology, funded by the Bureau of Personnel of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and organized by the Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEE) of CAS, with support from the CSTA and the Solar Thermal Power Committee of Chinese Renewable Energy Society, successfully concluded at Badaling, Beijing. Over 50 technical and mid-to-senior management professionals from across the country completed five days of intensive training and passed the final assessment, receiving certificates from the CAS Continuing Education Base. The program adopted a deeply integrated “theory + practice” model, cultivating a new cohort of talent with both technical expertise and hands-on capabilities, thereby supporting the high-quality development and industrial deployment of China’s CSP sector.
As a key continuing education initiative of the IEE-CAS for 2025, the course strictly followed the Administrative Rules for the IEE-CAS Continuing Education Base. It zeroed in on technological pain-points and future needs of the CSP industry. From 8 to 12 September the curriculum spanned the full “basics–frontiers–practice” chain. The faculty combined renowned industry experts with IEE professors, all committed to goal-, demand- and problem-oriented teaching. Modules covered industry overview, core technologies, key equipment, testing methods, and O&M procedures. Participants advanced from classroom fundamentals through specialized lectures to on-site visits, achieving a seamless leap from theory to engineering application.
Wang Zhifeng, Guo Minghuan, Sun Feihu & Zhu Huibin: concentrator ratio, efficiency, solar-resource measurement, optical design, heliostat tracking & calibration.
Bai Fengwu, Zhang Jianhan, Zang Chuncheng & Xu Li: deep dives on tower, parabolic-trough and linear-Fresnel technologies—focus on bottlenecks and blind spots.
Wang Yan, Yuan Guofeng & Yang Ming: thermal-storage fundamentals, seasonal long-duration storage, low- and medium-temperature solar heat utilization.
Hands-on experience.Qi Zhipeng & Zhang Junfeng dissected real-world design flaws, operational pitfalls and O&M breakthroughs for tower plants, transferring field-tested know-how.
Macro-policy & global outlook. A timely lecture on “New-Energy Policy Updates” by Dr. Shi Jingli of the Energy Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research, clarified policy direction and market trends for participants, while Ms. Du Fengli, Secretary-General of the CSTA and Solar Thermal Power Committee of Chinese Renewable Energy Society, provided a comprehensive overview of global CSP technology and industry developments, keeping attendees fully attuned to the sector’s dynamics.
Program director Gong Bo noted that the course’s high impact stems from multi-dimensional support—pairing the research depth of the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, with front-line expertise from industry specialists to create a full-chain curriculum spanning theoretical R&D, technological breakthroughs and commercial deployment. Aligning closely with national policy priorities, the training also underscores the organizers’ sense of mission and responsibility in advancing China’s CSP sector.
As China’s flagship research institute for CSP, the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences has translated its deep scientific accumulation into a mature training model: by coupling demonstration plants, inviting front-line industry experts and designing hands-on curricula, it converts cutting-edge laboratory technologies into ready-to-deploy course content, helping the sector bridge the “last kilometre” of technology transfer. To date, the IEE-CAS CSP Training Programme has run nine editions and supplied the industry with more than 600 qualified professionals.