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Strong efforts are being made to drive heliostat cost down. These efforts are summarised to give an update on heliostat technology comprising: determination of wind loads, heliostat dimensioning, solutions for the different sub-functions of a heliostat, a review of commercially available and prototype heliostat designs, canting, manufacturing, qualification, heliostat field layout, and mirror cleaning. There is evidence that commercial heliostat costs have dropped significantly in the past few years, with commercial suppliers of heliostat technologies now claiming heliostat field costs around 100 USD/m 2. With new approaches even target cost of 75$/m² seem to be realistic.

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This paper examines the potential of sodium receivers to increase the overall solar-to-electricity efficiency of central receiver solar power plants, also known as solar tower systems. It re-visits some of the key outcomes and conclusions from past sodium receiver experiments, in particular those at Sandia National Laboratories and Plataforma Solar de Almeria in the 1980s, and discusses some current development activities in the area. It also discusses research in sodium receivers with a liquid-vapour phase change (heat pipes and pool boilers), to explore whether technologies developed for dish-Stirling systems have applicability for solar tower systems. Lessons learnt from experience in the nuclear industry with liquid sodium systems are discussed in the context of safety risks.