LINE-FOCUS CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGIES UNIT

Research and technical staff




Eduardo Zarza Moya – Professor

Ph.D. Industrial Engineering, University of Seville, Spain.

Technical coordinator of Plataforma Solar de Almería.

Senior researcher in concentrating solar thermal energy. With expertise in the technology of parabolic trough collectors, including development of components, investigation of new working fluids for solar receivers (direct steam generation, CO2, etc.) and solar thermal systems applications. Coordinator of the GT1 of the Spanish standardization committee AEN/CTN206 and member of Scientific Committee of ESTELA. Spanish representative at the Executive Committee of SolarPACES.


Diego-César Alarcón Padilla – Senior Researcher


Loreto Valenzuela Gutiérrez - Senior Researcher

Ph.D, Almería University, Spain. B.Sc. Physics, Granada University, Spain. B.Sc. Electronics Engineering, Granada University, Spain.

Senior researcher in line-focus concentrating solar collectors technology (parabolic troughs and linear Fresnel reflectors). Experience in design, modelling, testing and evaluation, process control design, and applications of parabolic troughs.



Lourdes González Martínez – Senior Researcher

B.Sc. Physics (specialty Electronics), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.

Senior researcher in line-focus concentrating solar collectors technology (parabolic troughs and linear Fresnel reflectors).

Experience in sizing and modeling of solar fields with parabolic troughs and in energy production analysis of facilities with line-focus solar collectors (solar thermal power plants and industrial process heat).


Mario Biencinto Murga – Researcher

PhD, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
B.Sc.Telecommunications Engineering, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain.

Researcher in line-focus concentrating solar collectors technology (parabolic troughs and linear Fresnel reflectors).

Experience in modeling, simulation and energy production analysis of facilities with line-focus solar collectors (power plants and facilities for industrial process heat).


Rafael López Martin – Researcher

B.Sc. Physics, University of Granada, Spain.

Researcher in line-focus concentrating solar collectors technology (parabolic troughs and linear Fresnel reflectors).

Experience in testing and evaluation of parabolic troughs and their components (reflectors and receiver tubes).


Maria Elena Carra Artero - Researcher

B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of Almería, Spain. B.Sc. Industrial management Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Spain. Master in Chemical Engineering, University of Almería, Spain.
PhD Sciences, Universidad de Almería (Spain)

Measurement of the atmospheric extinction of solar radiation in Thermal Solar Power Plants. Radiative transfer studies.



Guillaume Saliou – Researcher


Carmen María Amador Cortés – Laboratory technician


Sergio Alcalde Morales – Predoctoral researcher