A new spectrally selective coating based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for solar thermal applications is demonstrated. For optimized coatings solar absorptance coefficients alpha > 0.92 and thermal emittance coefficients epsilon < 0.1 (400 degrees C) were achieved. These results render CNT coatings as a low cost and high performance alternative to commercially available vacuum deposited cermet coatings for concentrated solar power (CSP) application. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.