World's first demonstration of a 140kWp Heliostat Concentrator PV (HCPV) system

Abstract

Solar Systems has more than 10 years experience with grid-connected CPV systems using large reflective optics. Over the last 7 years, Solar Systems has deployed 47 dish units, of which 23 are with multijunction solar cells, in five different commercial CPV power plants and two testing facilities, for a total installed capacity of 1.5 MWp. Recently, Solar Systems has designed and built a 140kWp Heliostat Concentrator PV (HCPV) system at its new Testing and Training Facility in Bridgewater, Victoria. The demonstration of the performance of the HCPV system met all the specification targets. The system reached a power output of 140kW with a DC efficiency of 240/0 to 260/0 and an optical efficiency of 840/0, measured on two different days, four months apart, around solar noon. This is the first utility-scale Heliostat CPV system ever built. It is also for Solar Systems the first demonstration of a new technology to be deployed in a large 154-MWp power plant in Northern Victoria.

Concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) solar collector systems: Part I – Fundamentals, design considerations and current technologies

“…Nonetheless, other solar concentrator optics such as parabolic dish reflectors [137], central Table 5 Tracking requirements and typical concentrators corresponding to different concentration levels. receiver systems [138], parabolic trough reflectors [139], and compound parabolic concentrators [140] have been successfully integrated into CPV systems. Fig.…”

“…54. CPV systems using different concentration mechanisms including (a) Fresnel lenses [88], (b) parabolic trough [88], (c) parabolic dish [137], (d) compound parabolic concentrators [140], and (e) heliostat field central receiver [138]. [163] and (b) a dynamic mechanism [165].…”

A novel solar concentrator system for combined heat and power application in residential sector

“…To reproduce defined concentration level and spot shape, a mosaic of low cost flat mirrors mounted on a unique frame is often employed. Mirrored dishes with diameters ranging from few to tens of meters have been developed and commercialized during the last ten years working at typical concentration of 500 suns [18][19][20], even if recent studies show a good perspective of increasing the concentration factor towards 1000 suns and beyond [21]. Advantages of the reflective optics are the lack of chromatic aberration, which gives a higher optical efficiency if compared to systems embedding lenses, a lower cell operating temperature (caused by the necessary active cooling) and the possibility to cogenerate both electric current and heat given by the cooling system itself.…”

Enhancing the efficiency of solar concentrators by controlled optical aberrations: Method and photovoltaic application

“…with solar flux up to hundreds times the ambient value. Reflective dish concentrators with diameters ranging from few meters to few tens of meters have been already proposed and are at the beginning of their commercial development working at typical concentrations of 500Â [12][13][14].…”