Optics for Solar Energy

Major topics discussed at this conference related to solar-thermal energy research include (but are not limited to):

• Solar concentrator (heliostat fields, parabolic dish, parabolic trough, linear Fresnel, and alternative concepts) design, field layout, numerical analysis (e.g. forward and backward ray-tracing, cone-optics, and other modeling methods), measurement, testing, and algorithmic optimization

• Secondary reflector and concentrator design, modelling, analysis, optimization and testing (including for high-temperature processes)

• Development, manufacturing and testing of reflective materials and optical surface coatings

• Measurement and long-term evaluation of optical material properties; analysis of soiling and degradation

• Novel methods for experimental heliostat field analysis and monitoring, control and operation

• Techno-economic analysis of solar collectors and collector fields and their influence on overall system costs

• Optical and radiative heat transfer analyses for solar receiver and reactor design, including modelling, simulation, optimisation and measurement of radiative heat transport in participating porous and particulate reactive media

• Design and optimization, development, modelling, characterization and operation of concentrating solar research facilities (simulators, furnaces, tower and dishes)

• Radiative intensity, flux and power measurement methodologies and techniques

• Emerging concepts in concentrating solar energy

• Solar resource-related research and modelling (including irradiation data measurement, cloud forecasting and tracking, aerosol research and data processing)