2009 R&D 100 Winner
The goal of collaborators at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colo., and SkyFuel Inc., Arvada, Calif., is to increase widespread use of solar-generated electricity in the utilities market by addressing the primary market barrier—the high upfront capital cost and the long and/or low return on investment. The SkyTrough Parabolic Trough Solar Concentrating Collector was designed to overcome these cost barriers by using a new reflector material: a weather-proof, low-cost, high-reflectance polymeric film instead of the traditional heavy, glass-based mirror. The collector also uses much larger individual reflective elements that are easy and quick to install, and require no optical adjustment, thereby maximizing efficiency. According to the developers, SkyTrough has the potential to reduce installed solar collector costs by 35% and improve the financial return for investor by 75%. These savings, they say, should help solar installations become cost-competitive with gas-fired generation.
Technology
Solar concentrating collector
Developers
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
SkyFuel Inc.
