Press Release: Cosin Solar On January 24, the first set of heliostats for the 100MW CT CSP project of the POWERCHINA Turpan Tuokexun CSP + PV Hybrid Project, being constructed by Cosin Solar, was successfully assembled. The project, located in Tuokexun County, Turpan...
heliostats
Two CSP studies quantify a trade-off between solar efficiency and LCOE
CSP solar efficiency is compared against LCOE in multi-unit CSP with s-CO2 Brayton cycle in two recent papers, and efficiency wins
Published at Journal of Solar Engineering – Compilation of a Solar Mirror Materials Database and an Analysis of Natural and Accelerated Mirror Exposure and Degradation
Abstract: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been conducting exposure experiments on solar reflectors for over four decades. Thousands of mirror samples from over one hundred suppliers have been exposed to and monitored in a range of relevant...
Published at Solar Energy – A feasibility study on the application of mesh grids for heliostat wind load reduction
Abstract This study examines the effectiveness of mesh grids in heliostat field perimeter fences and edge-mounted devices for heliostat wind load reduction. Two experimental studies were conducted: (1) the effect of mesh porosity and non-dimensional longitudinal...
US DOE announces nine heliostat prize semi-finalists
The American-Made Heliostat Prize is a $3 million competition designed to accelerate technology innovation through the design, development, and demonstration of key components of heliostats. Heliostats are devices that tilt mirrors to track the sun and reflect...
Solar concentration boosted by shape-shifting heliostat glass
By manipulating the shape of heliostats in real time, the optical efficiency of solar fields for tower CSP can be significantly increased, according to a paper presented at the New Mexico SolarPACES Conference: Heliostat with Automatic Shape Adjustment for High...
Cosin wins bid for new 200 MW Chinese CSP storage/solar field
Press Release: Cosin wins 200 MW bid for solar field and MSR system On September 7, we received the "Notification of Award" from CGN China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., confirming that Cosin Solar has won the contract for Solar Field and MSR Systems equipment...
Published at Applied Energy – Co-optimisation of the heliostat field and receiver for concentrated solar power plants
Abstract: In a concentrated solar power (CSP) tower plant, it is essential to understand the performance of the subsystem formed by the heliostat field and the receiver, operated with an optimal aiming strategy that guarantees the safety and lifetime of the receiver...
Published at Energy – Concentrating efficiency loss of heliostat with multiple sub-mirrors under wind loads
Abstract: As an important design load for heliostat, wind load crucially affects the safety and concentrating performance. Herein, an evaluation method is proposed to study the impacts of wind loads on concentrating efficiency loss of the heliostat with multiple...
Published at Solar Energy – Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the planning, operation and maintenance of concentrating solar thermal systems: A review
Abstract: The technological advancements achieved in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have positioned this technology as a key enabling technology for revolutionizing the entire energy industry by facilitating diverse operations and tasks that would...
Published at Solar Energy – Simplified analytical model to describe wind loads and wind-induced tracking deviations of heliostats
Abstract: Wind-induced tracking deviations of heliostats can be analyzed through numerical simulations or experimental studies on a full-scale heliostat. However, these methods are relatively costly and often, simpler estimations are necessary and sufficient. One...
DOE announces 7 awards to cut heliostat costs
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Sandia National Laboratories, co-leads of the Heliostat Consortium, announced seven awardees from a request for proposals (RFP) aimed at achieving DOE’s goals for heliostat cost...
Are there still careers in solar energy innovation?
Tower CSP needs talented engineers in optics, robotics and AI to advance heliostat technology and cut costs.
Heliocon seeks heliostat cost reduction to $50 per square meter
Heliostat cost reduction is necessary to lower the cost of tower CSP. As many as 10,000 heliostats comprise the solar field.
BA student devises algorithm to optimize Tower CSP preheating strategy
Much of the research covered at SolarPACES in concentrated solar power (CSP) is advanced by international post-docs and professors, but as the need for climate solutions advances, it is drawing the attention of younger researchers with STEM backgrounds in mathematics,...
NREL Starts SETO-Funded Study of Wind Impacts on Solar Collectors
High wind loads increase structural design costs of concentrating solar power (CSP) collector structures, such as heliostats and parabolic troughs. In a new two-year project, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will work with the Department of Energy...
Have Heliostat Cost Cuts Helped Likana Bid CSP Under 4 Cents?
Have advances in heliostat mirror solar fields enabled record low prices in Morocco and Dubai and low bids like for Likana in Chile?
Solar Fuels Pioneer Synhelion Acquires Smart Mirror Expert Heliokon
To expand internationally with its high temperature solar fuels, Synhelion now acquires high temperature solar field experts Heliokon
Real-Time Sky Imaging Cameras to Speed Up CSP Response Time
Advances in sky camera systems are set to drive up CSP efficiency in the coming years. In Europe, tests of WobaS All Sky Imager (ASI) technology at the 50 MW La Africana parabolic trough plant in Spain increased plant revenue by 2% over a two year period. Developed by...
A Novel CSP Heliostat Goes from Lab to Market in Just 5 Years
The innovative pentagonal Stellio heliostat has gone from lab to commercial deployment in China’s Hami CSP project in record time
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