Low-Cost Solar Electricity Using Stationary Solar Fields; Technology Potential and Practical Implementation Challenges to Be Overcome. Outcomes from H2020 MOSAIC Project

Cristóbal Villasante, Saioa Herrero, Marcelino Sánchez, Iñigo Pagola, Adrian Peña, David Olasolo and Ana Bernardos
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Cristóbal Villasante: Fundacion Tekniker, Polo Tecnológico de Eibar, Calle Iñaki Goenaga 5, 20600 Gipuzkoa, Spain
Saioa Herrero: Fundacion Tekniker, Polo Tecnológico de Eibar, Calle Iñaki Goenaga 5, 20600 Gipuzkoa, Spain
Marcelino Sánchez: CENER (National Renewable Energy Centre of Spain), Ciudad de la Innovación 7, 31621 Navarra, Spain
Iñigo Pagola: CENER (National Renewable Energy Centre of Spain), Ciudad de la Innovación 7, 31621 Navarra, Spain
Adrian Peña: CENER (National Renewable Energy Centre of Spain), Ciudad de la Innovación 7, 31621 Navarra, Spain
David Olasolo: Fundacion Tekniker, Polo Tecnológico de Eibar, Calle Iñaki Goenaga 5, 20600 Gipuzkoa, Spain
Ana Bernardos: CENER (National Renewable Energy Centre of Spain), Ciudad de la Innovación 7, 31621 Navarra, Spain

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-14

Abstract: At any time of the day, a spherical mirror reflects the rays coming from the sun along a line that points to the sun through the center of the sphere. This makes it possible to build concentrated solar power(CSP) plants with fixed solar fields and mobile receivers; that is, solar fields can be significantly cheaper and simpler, but challenging tracking systems for the mobile receiver need to be implemented. The cost-cutting possibilities for this technology have been under-researched. This article describes the MOSAIC concept, which aims to achieve low-cost solar energy by boosting the benefits of spherical reflectors while addressing their challenges. This new concept proposes to build large modular plants from semi-Fresnel solar bowls. One of these modules has been designed and is under construction in Spain. This article reports the main lessons learned during the design phase, describes the advantages and challenges of the concept, details the proposed routes to overcome them, and identifies the steps needed to develop a fully competitive industrial solution.

Keywords: CSP; solar; spherical concentrator; Fresnel; stationary reflector; tracking absorber (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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