Solar concentrators use lenses to focus sunlight onto a smaller surface to increase intensity. The first concentrator plant opened in Italy in 1968. Future studies predict concentrated solar power could provide 25% of global energy needs by 2050 with $174 billion annual investment. Concentrators advantageously reduce heat loss area and thermal mass while increasing intensity on a smaller, cheaper receiver area, though precision optics increase costs and maintenance needs.

1. SOLAR
CONCENTRATOR
NAME PRASENJIT DE
ROLL NO 21
SECTION 1609 G1

3. WHAT IS SOLAR CONCENTRATOR?
 SOLAR CONCENTRATOR IS A DEVICE WHICH
CONCENTRATES THE SOLAR ENERGY INCIDENT
OVER A LARGE SURFACE ONTO A SMALLER
SURFACE

4. HISTORY
 PROFESSOR GIOVANNI FRANCIA DESIGNED AND
BUILT THE FIRST CONCENTRATOR SOLAR PLANT
WHICH ENTERED INTO OPERATION IN
SANTLLARIO,NEAR GENOVA, ITALY IN 1968.
 THIS PLANT WAS ABLE TO PRODUCE 1 MW WITH
SUPERHEATED STEAM AT 100 BAR AND 500 DEGREE
CELCIUS.

5. THE NEXT ADVANCED SOLAR CONCENTRATOR WAS DEVELOPED IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN 1981,BUT THE PARABOLIC TROUGH
TECHNOLOGY OF THE NEARBY SOLAR ENERGY GENERATING
SYSTEM (SEGS) BEGUN IN 1984 WAS MORE WORKABLE

6. HOW DO SOLAR CONTRATOR
WORKS?
 A SOLAR CONCENTRATOR USES LENSES CALLED FRESENEL
LENS, WHICH TAKE A LARGE AREA OF SUNLIGHT AND DIRECT
IT TOWARDS A SPECIFIC SPOT BY BENDING THE RAYS OF LIGHT
AND FOCUSING THEM.

7. FRESENEL LENS ARE SHAPED LIKE A
DART BOARD, WITH CONCENTRIC RINGS
OF PRISMS AROUND A LENS THAT IS A
MAGNIFYING GLASS. ALL OF THESE
FEATURES LET THEM FOCUS SCATTER
LIGHT FROM THE SUN INTO A LIGHT
BEAM.

8. FUTURE OF SOALR CONCENTRATOR
YEAR ANNUAL INVESTMENT
GLOBALLY
COMMULATIVE
CAPACITY
2015 21 BILLION EUROS 420 MEGAWATTS
2050 174 BILLION EUROS 1500000 MEGAWATTS
STUDY DONE BY GREENPEACE USA INTERNATIONAL,THE EUROPEAN
SOLAR THERMAL ELECTRICITY ASSOCIATION AND INTERNATIONAL
ENERGY AGENCY SOLARPACES GROUP INVESTIGATED THE
POTENTIAL AND FUTURE OF SOLAR CONCENTRATOR.
THE STUDY FOUND THAT CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER COULD
ACCOUNT FOR UPTO 25% OF THE WORLD’S ENERGY NEEDS BY
2050.THE INCREASE IN INVESTMENT FROM 21 BILLION EUROS TO 174
BILLION EUROS IN THE TIME PERIOD.

9. ADVANTAGES
1. IT INCREASE THE INTENSITY BY CONCENTRATING THE
ENERGY AVAILABLE OVER A LARGE SURFACE ONTO A
SMALLER SURFACE (ABSORBER).
2. DUE TO CONCENTRATION ON SMALLER AREA THE
HEAT LOSS AREA IS REDUCED.
3. THE THERMAL MASS IS MUCH SMALLER THAN THAT OF
FLAT PLATE COLLECTOR AND HENCE TRANSIENT
EFFECTS ARE SMALL.
4. IT HELPS IN REDUCING THE COST BY REPLACING AN
EXPENSIVE LARGE RECEIVER BY A LESS EXPENSIVE
REFLECTING OR REFRACTING AREA.

10. DISADVANTAGES
1. THE CONCENTRATOR IS AN OPTICAL SYSTEM AND
HENCE THE OPTICAL LOSS TERMS BECOME
SIGNIFICANT.
2. IT WORKS ON BEAM COMPONENT OF SOLAR
RADIATION RESULTING IN LOSS OF DIFFUSE
COMPONENTS.
3. HIGHER THE CONCENTRATION OF THE COLLECTOR
HIGHER IS THE PRECISION OF OPTIC AND MORE IS THE
COT OF THE UNITS.
4. IN ADDITION TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SYSTEM
THE MAINTAINENCE REQUIREMENTS ARE ALSO
INCREASED.

11. RELEVANT INDUSTRIES