The AQUA-CSP, the TRANS-CSP and the MED-CSP reports from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) can be downloaded from this site via the links shown here (left click to view them directly or right-click to download to a named file).

Concentrating solar power for seawater desalination (AQUA-CSP, 2007, PDF, 7.6 MB)
Trans-Mediterranean interconnection for concentrating solar power (TRANS-CSP, 2006, PDF, 6.1 MB).
Concentrating solar power for the Mediterranean region (MED-CSP, 2005, PDF, 11.9 MB).

They can also be downloaded from the website of the German Aerospace Center (DLR):

Power from deserts is a press release about the TRANS-CSP report.

The "White Book", Clean power from deserts: the DESERTEC concept for energy, water and climate security (PDF, 2.2 MB) is a digest of the MED-CSP and TRANS-CSP reports presented to the European Parliament on the 28th of November 2007 by Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, former President of the Club of Rome. A press release about the presentation may be downloaded from our press releases page.

Other reports that feature CSP and DESERTEC-related ideas

Desert power: the economics of solar thermal electricity for Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East (PDF, 653 KB, Kevin Ummel and David Wheeler, Center for Global Development, 2008-12-12). This study concludes that large-scale deployment of CSP is attainable with subsidy levels that are modest, given the planetary stakes. By the end of the program, unsubsidized CSP projects are likely to be competitive with coal- and gas-based power production in Europe.
The market for concentrating solar power (Research Reports International, undated). This is a flyer for a report available for purchase.
Concentrating solar power—technology, cost, and markets (Travis Bradford, Elizabeth Wayman and Sorin Grama from the Prometheus Institute, published by Greentech Media Research, 2008-03-31). This is a flyer for a report available for purchase.
Sustainable water and energy in Gaza Strip (PDF, 1.3 MB, Lubna K. Hamdanam, Maryam Zareia, Russell R. Chianellib, and Elizabeth Gardner, Renewable Energy 33, 1137–1146, 2008). A study of how CSP, with desalination of sea water, may provide power and fresh water for the Gaza Strip.
Solar thermal energy: the forgotten energy source (PDF, 396 KB, Reuel Shinnar and Francesco Citro, Technology in Society 29, 261-270, 2007). An article describing the advantages of CSP.
Global concentrated solar power markets and strategies, 2007–2020 (Emerging Energy Research, October 2007). This is a PDF flyer for a report available for purchase.
Solar thermal power as the plausible basis of grid supply (PDF, 238 KB, paper by David Mills and Rob Morgan presented to the ISES Solar World Congress, 2007-09-19).
Concentrating solar power: from research to implementation (PDF, 2.8 MB, European Commission, 2007). This report describes a range of EU-funded projects related to CSP including demonstration CSP plants, the systems and components of CSP plants, hybrid plants, solar chemistry, and research infrastructure.
Assessment of potential impact of concentrating solar power for electricity generation (PDF, 1.4 MB, US Department of Energy, February 2007). Gives a positive assessment of the prospects for CSP.
Tackling climate change in the US (American Solar Energy Society, Charles F. Kutscher, Editor, January 2007). Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies have the potential to provide most, if not all, of the US carbon emissions reductions that will be needed to help limit the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide to 450 to 500 ppm. On page 17 it says: "… analysts evaluated the solar resource in the Southwest [of the US] and … found that CSP could provide nearly 7,000 GW of capacity, or about seven times the current total US electric capacity." (emphasis added).
New impetus for climate policy: making the most of Germany's dual presidency (PDF, 414 KB, policy paper from the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), January 2007). The report includes proposals for a European supergrid linking to solar thermal power plants in North Africa (see electricity transmission grids).
Energy revolution: a blueprint for solving global warming (PDF, 7.8 MB, Greenpeace International, European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), January 2007). This report features several different sources of renewable energy including CSP: "... concentrating solar power (CSP) plants in the sunbelt regions of the world will ... have an important role to play."
Assessment of the World Bank/GEF Strategy for the market development of concentrating solar thermal power (PDF, 6.5 MB, The World Bank, 2006). This report presents a positive assessment of the potential of CSP and the need for public support until the industry is fully established.
10 MW solar thermal power plant for southern Spain (PDF, 1.2 MB, Project NNE5-1999-356 funded by the European Community under the 5th Framework Programme, November 2006). This power plant is now up and running (see the entry for 2007-03-30 on the news page). See also Concentrating solar power: main projects supported by the Commission .
Solar task force report (PDF, 3.2 MB, Western Governors' Association, January 2006). This report is the basis for sections about CSP in "Tackling climate change in the US" (above).
Concentrating solar thermal power—now (PDF, 1.3 MB, European Solar Thermal Industry Association (ESTIA), IEA SolarPACES, and Greenpeace International, September 2005).
European concentrated solar thermal road-mapping (ECOSTAR) (PDF, 12.7 MB, edited by Robert Pitz-Paal, Jürgen Dersch, and Barbara Milow, German Aerospace Center, EU contract SES6-CT-2003-502578, November 2004). From the executive summary, p 10: "Concentrating Solar Thermal Power (CSP) can provide critical solutions to global energy problems within a relatively short time frame and is capable of contributing substantially to carbon dioxide reduction efforts. Among all the renewable technologies available for large-scale power production today and for the next few decades, CSP is one with the potential to make major contributions of clean energy because of its relatively conventional technology and ease of scale-up.".
Papers by Hans Müller-Steinhagen and Franz Trieb in Ingenia, quarterly of the Royal Academy of Engineering:
- Concentrating solar power: a review of the technology. Ingenia 18, February/March 2004.
- Concentrating solar power for sustainable electricity generation, Part 2: Perspectives. Ingenia 19, May/June 2004.
Fuel sky: solar power's potential for Western energy supply (PDF, 4.2 MB, Dr. Arnold Leitner, US DoE National Renewable Energy Laboratory, July 2002). "Concentrating solar power (CSP) is the most efficient and cost-effective way to generate electricity from the sun. Hundreds of megawatts of CSP solar-generating capacity could be brought online within a few years and make a meaningful contribution to the energy needs of the West.".

Other reports about CSP, relating more specifically to costs, are listed with summaries and download links on the page about CSP costs.

Official websites featuring CSP

Other reports about decarbonising the world's economy

Reports on the feasibility and costs of decarbonising the UK, Europe and the world, and the costs of not taking action, are listed, with summaries and download links, on another page.

Last updated: 2009-01-05 (ISO 8601)