Concentrator design to minimize LCOE

Mark McDonald; Steve Horne; Gary Conley

doi:10.1117/12.735738

11 September 2007 Concentrator design to minimize LCOE

Mark McDonald, Steve Horne, Gary Conley

Proceedings Volume 6649, High and Low Concentration for Solar Electric Applications II; 66490B (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.735738
Event: Solar Energy + Applications, 2007, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) takes into account more than just the cost of power output. It encompasses product longevity, performance degradation and the costs associated with delivering energy to the grid tie point. Concentrator optical design is one of the key components to minimizing the LCOE, by affecting conversion efficiency, acceptance angle and the amount of energy concentrated on the receiver. Optical systems for concentrators, even those at high concentrations ( >350X) can be designed by straightforward techniques, and will operate under most circumstances. Adding requirements for generous acceptance angles, non-destructive off-axis operation, safety and high efficiency however, complicate the design. Furthermore, the demands of high volume manufacturing, efficient logistics, minimal field commissioning time and low cost lead to quite complicated, system level design trade-offs. The technology which we will discuss features an array of reflective optics, scaled to be fabricated by techniques used in the automotive industry. The design couples a two-element imaging system to a non-imaging total internal reflection tertiary in a very compact design, with generous tolerance margins. Several optical units are mounted in a housing, which protects the optics and assists with dissipating waste heat. This paper outlines the key elements in the design of SolFocus concentrator optics, and discusses tradeoffs and experience with various design approaches.

Citation Download Citation

Mark McDonald, Steve Horne, and Gary Conley "Concentrator design to minimize LCOE", Proc. SPIE 6649, High and Low Concentration for Solar Electric Applications II, 66490B (11 September 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.735738

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available