Abstract: A newly developed analytical optical approach—firstprinciple OPTical intercept calculation (FirstOPTIC)—is employed to study the optical impact of receiver position error on parabolic trough collectors. The FirstOPTIC ...

Abstract: Concentrating solar power (CSP) can provide additional thermal energy to boost geothermal plant power generation. For a newly constructed solar field at a geothermal power plant site, it is critical to properly characterize ...

Abstract: Optics plays a major role in the effectiveness of concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. The nonintrusive optical (NIO) approach developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory uses uncrewed aircraft system ...

Abstract: In molten-salt parabolic trough plants, the melting process is particularly important for freeze recovery of salt that is solidified in a collector loop, should such an event occur. Currently impedance heating is expected ...

Abstract: Concentrating solar power is not a widely deployed or known technology area, and the heliostat workforce community in the United States is currently small, with knowledge and expertise not widely available. The resource, ...