By: Wang Zhifeng, Du Fengli
March 24, 2026 — The IEA- SolarPACES conference was successfully held in Portugal today. As a key technical cooperation program under the International Energy Agency (IEA), IEA- SolarPACES was established in 1977 under the original name "IEA Small Solar Power Systems Project." It has since evolved into the world's most influential international cooperation network in the field of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), dedicated to advancing CSP technology research and development, market deployment, and international coordination. Its core mission is to facilitate global energy transition and carbon neutrality goals through technological innovation.
Currently, as the global energy structure undergoes profound transformation, CSP—leveraging its unique advantages of dispatchability and energy storage capabilities—is transitioning from the demonstration phase to large-scale commercial application. By 2025, global cumulative installed capacity has exceeded 8 GW, with projections indicating it will approach 10 GW by the end of 2026. Against this backdrop, the convening of this conference holds significant practical importance.
On this bright and sunny day, 21 delegates from member countries of the organization and the host nation Portugal gathered together. Colleagues from the global CSP community engaged in warm exchanges, including both long-standing veterans deeply rooted in the field and new faces joining the industry, creating a lively and harmonious atmosphere.
China sent professional representatives to participate in the conference. Researcher Wang Zhifeng from the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, attended as the national representative. He also serves as Vice Chairman of SolarPACES and Chairman of the CSTA, participating fully in the conference discussions. Du Fengli, Secretary-General of the Solar Thermal Power Committee of Chinese Renewable Energy Society, attended as an observer representative, facilitating exchanges between Chinese and international industry professionals.
This conference provided an efficient communication platform for global CSP colleagues, focusing on core topics including technological innovation, industrial development, cost optimization, and international cooperation. These discussions align with the current trend of the global CSP industry toward greater efficiency and diversification, while also reflecting IEA- SolarPACES's core objectives of promoting technological synergy and market expansion. The presence of Chinese delegates demonstrates China's active participation in the solar thermal power generation field, laying a solid foundation for Sino-foreign technical cooperation and coordinated industrial development. This engagement helps integrate China's CSP technologies into the global innovation network and drives high-quality industry development.