Solar park in Edinburgh to drive plastic heliostat development
A field trial to develop highly efficient solar energy heliostats made from plastic has opened in Edinburgh.
Car parts manufacturer Precision Components is partnering with the University of South Australia to operate the concentrated solar research field that includes 25 heliostats each measuring 7.2 square metre and a 16-metre-tall concentrated solar photo-voltaic (PV) receiver, which can generate about 30 kW of electricity per hour.
While the heliostats at the solar field are currently made of traditional glass, researchers at the Mawson Lakes campus of UniSA are looking to apply thin film coating technology to produce lightweight and durable polycarbonate mirrors. This will result in cheaper and more efficient heliostats that stay cleaner for longer.
The full article can be found on the The Lead South Australia website.