SolarPACES 2026 Conference in Bad Neuenahr, Germany — Discover HPT's Work and Contributions

SolarPACES Conference

Discover Our Team's Contributions to the SolarPACES 2026 Program

Keynote Sessions

Rafael Guedez will be co-chairing the joint conference session "Sustainable Heat for Industrial Processes" on Tuesday, September 15 at 10:35 CEST, bringing together experts from academia and industry to discuss pathways towards sustainable industrial heat solutions. He will be joined by Bärbel Epp (Managing Director, Solrico, Germany) and Benjamin Zühlsdorf (Innovation Director, Danish Technological Institute, Denmark).

Oral Presentations

• Salvatore Guccione will present “Techno-Economic Optimization of Hybrid PV–CST Plants with Air-Based Thermal Energy Storage for Industrial Heat Decarbonization” on Wednesday, September 16, at 11:50 CEST (co-authors – Silvia Trevisan and Rafael Guedez). The study explores how a hybrid photovoltaic–concentrated solar thermal (PV–CST) system with air-based thermal energy storage can supply heat for an industrial drying process at 650 °C. The system is optimized to minimize the cost of heat and maximize savings relative to benchmark natural gas options. The work builds on a collaboration with ODQA  to develop the case study.

• Miguel Sainz Manas will present “Laboratory Prototype of Brick-Based Thermal Energy Storage Using Repurposed Ceramic Waste” on Wednesday, September 16, at 17:35 CEST (co-authors – Konstantinos Apostolopoulos Kalkavouras, Silvia Trevisan and Rafael Guedez). Developed within the European FLUWS project , KTH's structured packed-bed thermal energy storage prototype (TRL 5) is designed for hybrid high-temperature concentrated solar and photovoltaic power plants. The concept leverages repurposed ceramic waste and residual materials to deliver high thermal performance while minimizing environmental impact. During the presentation, Miguel will showcase the prototype's development and installation at the KTH Solar Laboratory, where it is coupled with a high-flux solar simulator for experimental validation.

• Konstantinos Apostolopoulos Kalkavouras will present “Experimental Evaluation of Steel Slags as Solid Filler in a Double-Layered Radial-Flow High-Temperature Packed-Bed TES” on Thursday, September 17 at 15:25 CEST (co-authors – Silvia Trevisan and Rafael Guedez). This work was initially developed within the SHARP-sCO₂ project  and further investigates the performance of a novel thermal energy storage (TES) prototype built at the KTH Solar Laboratory. The research evaluates the use of steel slags as a storage medium in high-temperature packed-bed TES systems designed to support concentrated solar power (CSP) plants and industrial heat applications operating at temperatures of up to 800°C.

• Mateo Sanclemente will present “Techno-economic Assessment of a High-Temperature Stirling Heat Pump with Thermal Energy Storage Integrated with Solar Technologies for Industrial Heat Generation” on Thursday, September 17 at 15:05 CEST (co-authors – Silvia Trevisan, Antonio Famiglietti, and Rafael Guedez). Conducted within the framework of the SUSHEAT project , this work evaluates the techno-economic and environmental performance of an integrated system combining a high-temperature Stirling heat pump, thermal energy storage, and solar technologies for industrial heat generation. The presentation will showcase economic and environmental key performance indicators across different European energy markets.

• Tanima Sharma will deliver two presentations at SolarPACES 2026:

  • “Techno-Economic and Environmental Assessment of a Novel Tube-Bundle-Cavity Linear Receiver” on Wednesday, September 16 at 13:45 CEST (co-authors –Salvatore Guccione, Zanil Narsing, Silvia Trevisan, Rafael Guedez, Laura Savoldi, and Hossein Ebadi). Conducted within the DETECTIVE project , the study evaluates the techno-economic performance and environmental impacts of an innovative receiver designed to improve the efficiency of linear CSP and CST systems.

  • “Techno-Economic and Environmental Assessment of a Hybrid PV–CSP Plant with Cascade PCM TES” on Thursday, September 17 at 14:05 CEST (co-authors –Salvatore Guccione, Silvia Trevisan, Rafael Guedez, Anton Lopez Roman, Cristina Prieto, Emiliano Borri, and Luisa Cabeza). Developed within the EU-funded HybridPlus project , the study assesses a hybrid PV–CSP plant incorporating cascade phase-change-material thermal energy storage, focusing on its techno-economic performance and life-cycle environmental impacts.

• Delight Ezeh will present “Solar Tower Integration for Flexible Heat Electrification in the Frit Smelting Industrial Process: A Techno-Economic Assessment” on Thursday, September 17 at 14:05 CEST (co-authors – Salvatore Guccione, Silvia Trevisan, and Rafael Guedez). Conducted within the framework of the eLITHE project , the study explores how solar tower technology can be integrated with and Air-based Packed-Bed Thermal Energy Storage (PBTES) to deliver flexible high-temperature heat for high temperature industrial applications (>1000^oC). Using a comprehensive techno-economic framework, the work compares solar-assisted thermal storage with conventional electrification strategies using the frit smelting process as a case study.

• Maria Dolores (Mariola) Guerrero will present “Comparative Analysis on Thermal Oils in Packed-Bed TES for Industrial Process Heat Decarbonization” on Wednesday, September 16 at 14:45 CEST (co-authors – Rafael Guédez, Silvia Trevisan, and Saman Nimali Gunasekara). Conducted within the BREAD project , this KTH-led study compares novel heat transfer fluids (HTFs) combined with revalorized waste materials for packed-bed Thermal Energy Storage (TES), supporting industrial process heat decarbonization in the 150–350 °C temperature range. The work evaluates HTF–filler combinations based on key performance indicators including energy storage capacity, material availability, thermal stability, toxicity, and cost, identifying promising pairings for both new installations and retrofit applications.

Poster Sessions

• Salvatore Guccione will present three posters

  • “Experimental investigation of a single-column vertical electric heater for preheated olivine particles in CSP: effect of annular gap and flow rate” on Thursday, September 17 at 18:45 CEST (co-authors – Taras Koturbash  (first author), Ata Ülger, Silvia Trevisan, and Rafael Guedez). Conducted within the Powder2Power project , this work reports on the experimental testing of a full-scale single-column Vertical Electric Heater (VEH) at KTH to investigate the influence of annular gap geometry and particle flow rate on electrical heating of preheated olivine particles for CSP applications. The experiments demonstrated stable gravity-driven flow and significant temperature uplift, confirming the feasibility of the VEH concept and providing a basis for future optimisation and scale-up of particle electric superheaters.

  • “Airfoil-enhanced gravity moving bed electric heater for olivine particles in CSP: extended cold-flow experiments and flow-based heat-transfer assessment” on Thursday, September 17 at 18:45 CEST (co-authors – Taras Koturbash  (first author), Ata Ülger and Parth Kumavat). Conducted also within the Powder2Power project , this work advances the experimental development of a gravity-driven moving bed electric heater for olivine particles in CSP, using an upgraded transparent rig and improved PIV/PTV methods to investigate a wider range of heater geometries and configurations. The results show that airfoil-inspired elements reduce stagnant and void zones and improve particle flow near the heater surface, making them promising for improved heat-transfer performance in future designs.

  • “Techno-Economic Optimization of Hybrid PV–CST–TES Systems for Industrial Process Heat: Assessing Power-to-Heat Integration” on Thursday, September 17 at 19:00 CEST (co-authors – Davide Balzarini and Rafael Guedez). The study investigates the optimal mix of parabolic trough solar collectors, solar PV, thermal energy storage, and grid electricity to support industrial heat decarbonization in Spain. It assesses the integration of heat pumps and electric heaters to identify cost-effective configurations for supplying industrial process heat at temperatures up to 400 °C.

• Laia Barrera Arrabal will present “Design and Optimisation of a Thermocline Packed-Bed Thermal Energy Storage Using Ternary Molten Salts” on Thursday September 17 at 09:30 CEST. Conducted within the EU-funded SCO2OP-TES project , the study focuses on the design and optimisation of a laboratory-scale thermocline packed-bed thermal energy storage (TES) system using ternary molten salts. Key aspects investigated include tank geometry, flow distribution, operating conditions, and the selection of solid filler materials, with the aim of enhancing thermal performance and mitigating viscous fingering.

Beyond our conference presentations, we invite you to visit the KTH booth manned by HPT and connect with our team throughout SolarPACES 2026. Explore our latest research projects, see some modelled prototypes and discover a few Swedish surprises. We’ll also have information available about open positions at KTH as well as the educational programs offered at KTH’s Energy Technology Department . Don't miss the chance to come by, say hello, and start a conversation with us!