MB

Manuel Blanco

CIEMAT, Cyprus Institute, Universidad de Sevilla, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)

ORCID iD 0000-0003-2800-9886
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About

Thirty-eight years of experience as a solar researcher and engineer, leading solar research teams all over the world. Expert on Solar Energy, Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Optics, and Modelling of Energy Systems.

Senior Scientist at the Institute of Solar Research of the German Aerospace Center (DLR); Senior Technical Advisor of Blue Solar Technologies; and Full Professor (part-time) at the Cyprus Institute (CYI). Vice-Chair of EU-SOLARIS ERIC - the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) in charge of coordinating and providing access to the main Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) research infrastructures of Europe.

Former holder of the European Research Area (ERA) Chair in Solar Thermal Technologies for the Eastern Mediterranean at CYI and former Chair and Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of SolarPACES, the Technology Collaboration Program of the International Energy Agency responsible for promoting the development and deployment of solar thermal power technologies and the solar-assisted manufacture of fuels and chemicals.

Earlier, served as Science Leader of the Solar Energy Systems Research Group of CSIRO (Australia’s National Research Agency); Director of the Australian Solar Thermal Research Initiative (ASTRI) -a research program to increase the cost competitiveness of CST technologies, involving the participation of CSIRO, six Australian universities and three US Institutions (NREL, Sandia National Labs and Arizona State University); General Coordinator of Preparatory Phase of the EU-SOLARIS ERIC, an EC project whose goal was to carry out the preparatory activities needed to create EU-SOLARICS ERIC; Director of the Solar Thermal Energy Department of CENER -the National Renewable Energy Centre of Spain; Chair and Full Professor of the Engineering Department of the University of Texas at Brownsville; Director of the Plataforma Solar de Almería of CIEMAT -the largest European solar research infrastructure; and Principal Investigator of the EC SOLGAS and SIREC solar tower technology R&D projects, which paved the way towards PS10, the first commercial solar tower power plant.

Author of numerous scientific publications, and participation in a senior capacity in many national and international expert groups and committees.

Employment

  • CIEMAT Distinguished Researcher
    2026 - Present
  • Cyprus Institute Full Professor (Part-Time)
    2022 - 2024
  • Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR) Senior Scientist
    2022 - 2024
  • Cyprus Institute Full Professor with Tenure and European Research Area Chair in Solar Thermal Technologies
    2016 - 2022
  • CSIRO Energy Centre Newcastle ASTRI Programme Director and Science Leader
    2013 - 2016
  • Centro Nacional de Energías Renovables Director
    2006 - 2013
  • The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Chair
    2002 - 2006
  • Universidad de Almería Adjunct Professor
    1997 - 2001
  • Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT) Director
    1996 - 2002
  • Andalusian Energy Agency (SODEAN) Consultant and Project Director
    1992 - 1996
  • University of Seville Associate Faculty
    1991 - 1996
  • State Society for the Universal Exposition Sevilla 1992 (EXPO'92) Department Co-Director and Director of the Expo'92 Innovation Pogram
    1988 - 1992
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholar
    1986 - 1988
  • International Energy Agency - SSPS Project Researcher
    1983 - 1985

Education

  • Universidad de Sevilla Doctor in Industrial Engineering
    ? - 1996
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell Doctor of Philosophy (Applied Physics)
    ? - 1993
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell Master of Science in Energy Engineering
    ? - 1988
  • Universidad de Sevilla Master of Science in Industrial Engineering
    ? - 1985

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (63)