SolTRACE: A New Optical Modeling Tool for Concentrating Solar Optics

Wendelin, Tim

doi:10.1115/isec2003-44090

Cited by 169 publications

(75 citation statements)

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“…Ray-tracing tools such as STRAL (Belhomme et al 2009), SolTRACE (Wendelin 2003), MIRVAL (Leary and Hankins 1979), or SPRAY (Buck 2010) calculate the path of the sun's rays from the sunshape to the receiver by application of physical laws. Monte Carlo techniques are often implemented to allow for tractable calculation times.…”

Section: Ray-tracing Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data for Solar Energy Applications

Sengupta¹,

Kurtz²,

Dobos³

et al. 2015

152

121

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ForewordThe first version of this handbook was developed in response to a growing need by the solar energy industry for a single document addressing the key aspects of solar resource characterization. The solar energy industry has developed rapidly throughout the last few years, and there have been significant enhancements in the body of knowledge in the areas of solar resource assessment and forecasting. Thus, this second version of the handbook was developed from the need to update and enhance the initial version and present the state of the art in a condensed form for all of its users.Although the first version of this handbook was developed by only researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, this version has additional contributions from an international group of experts primarily from the knowledge that has been gained through participation in the International Energy Agency's Solar Heating and Cooling Programme Task 36 and Task 46.As in the first version, this material was assembled by scientists and engineers who have many decades of combined experience in atmospheric science, radiometry, meteorological data processing, and renewable energy technology development.Readers are encouraged to provide feedback to the authors for future revisions and an expansion of the handbook's scope and content. iv This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications. PrefaceAs the world looks for low-carbon sources of energy, solar power stands out as the single most abundant energy resource on Earth. Harnessing this energy is the challenge for this century. Photovoltaics, solar heating and cooling, and concentrating solar power (CSP) are primary forms of energy applications using sunlight. These solar energy systems use different technologies, collect different fractions of the solar resource, and have different siting requirements and production capabilities. Reliable information about the solar resource is required for every solar energy application. This holds true for small installations on a rooftop as well as for large solar power plants. However, solar resource information is of particular interest for large installations, because they require a substantial investment, sometimes exceeding $1 billion in construction costs. Before such a project is undertaken, the best possible information about the quality and reliability of the fuel source must be made available. That is, project developers need to have reliable data about the solar resource available at specific locations, including historic trends with seasonal, daily, hourly, and (preferably) subhourly variability to predict the daily and annual performance of a proposed power plant. Without this data, an accurate financial analysis is not possible.In September 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) hosted a meeting of prominent CSP developers and stakeholders. One purpose was to identify areas in which the DOE's CSP program should focus its efforts to help the industry develop an...

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Section: Ray-tracing Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data for Solar Energy Applications

Sengupta¹,

Kurtz²,

Dobos³

et al. 2015

152

121

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Ray-tracing tools such as STRAL (Belhomme et al 2009), SolTRACE (Wendelin 2003), MIRVAL (Leary and Hankins 1979), or SPRAY (Buck 2010) calculate the path of the sun's rays from the sun's disk and its immediate sky annulus surrounding it (collectively referred to as "sunshape") to the receiver by application of physical laws. Monte Carlo techniques are often implemented to allow for tractable calculation times.…”

Section: Ray-tracing Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data for Solar Energy Applications: Second Edition

2017

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Designing, financing, and operating successful solar heating, concentrating solar power, and photovoltaic systems requires reliable information about the solar resource available and its variability over time. In the past, seasonal and daily variability has been studied and understood; however, with new solar technologies becoming more important in energy supply grids, small time-scale effects are critical to successful deployment of these important low carbon technologies. A vital part of the bankability of solar projects is to understand the variability of the solar resource so that supply and storage technologies can be optimized.This handbook is the result of 10 years of international collaboration carried out by experts from the International Energy Agency's (IEA's) Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC), Solar PACES, and Photovoltaic Power Systems Technology Collaboration Programmes. Under IEA SHC Task 46: Solar Resource Assessment and Forecasting, experts from 11 countries produced information products and best practices on solar energy resources that will greatly benefit project developers and system operators as well as assist policymakers in advancing renewable energy programs worldwide.Meteorologists, mathematicians, solar technology specialists, and other key solar resource experts from around the world joined forces to further our understanding of the sun's temporal and spatial variability through benchmarking satellite-derived solar resource data and solar forecasts, developing best practices for measuring the solar resource, and conducting research to improve satellite-based algorithms. The results of IEA SHC Task 46 are useful to a wide range of users of solar heating and cooling, photovoltaics, and concentrating solar power systems and of building developers and owners as well as anyone else who needs to understand and predict sunlight for agricultural or other purposes.The earlier edition of the handbook, which was published in 2015, is used worldwide as a reference for each stage of a solar energy project. Since that time, there has been substantial growth in the interest in high-quality "bankable" solar resource data. This revision adds significant new methods so it will be even more useful.This publication is a summary that details the fundamentals of solar resources as well as captures the state of the art. For those wanting more depth, it also provides the references where more detailed information can be found.I would like to acknowledge the leadership of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and express appreciation to the U.S. Department of Energy for producing the handbook and incorporating results from IEA SHC Task 46. Ken Guthrie Chair, IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme June 2017This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory at www.nrel.gov/publications. Preface Dave Renné Dave Renné Renewables, LLCAs the world looks for carbon-free sources to meet final energy demand associated with heat, electrical power, and transport, ...

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“…The objective of SOLTRACE is to model complex optical systems for solar power and to analyze their performance (Wendelin, 2003). It is adapted not only to the three main technologies to thermodynamically convert sun power into electricity (CRS, PT and DS) but also to solar furnaces.…”

Section: Soltracementioning

confidence: 99%

Codes for solar flux calculation dedicated to central receiver system applications: A comparative review

2008

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As we need adapted software to calculate the solar flux concentration through a tower-heliostat field system, an overview of computer codes was performed, detailing their features, strengths and weaknesses. For this a questionnaire was sent to developers or heavy users of codes that are currently used in the concentrated solar power (CSP) community. Answers to this questionnaire make it possible to determine which tool is relevant depending on the objectives of the simulation. Modeling tools for central receiver systems (CRS) can be divided into two main categories, corresponding to two kinds of problems: on one hand those dedicated to system optimization and on the other hand those designed to detailed analysis of the optical performances. A bibliographic study on first generation and developing codes complements this overview of tools that may be interesting for CSP research or industry.

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SolTRACE: A New Optical Modeling Tool for Concentrating Solar Optics

Cited by 169 publications

References 0 publications

Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data for Solar Energy Applications

Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data for Solar Energy Applications

Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data for Solar Energy Applications: Second Edition

Codes for solar flux calculation dedicated to central receiver system applications: A comparative review

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