Evaluation of the Reliability of a Novel ICPC Solar Collector Installation: Incorporating the Diffuse Radiation Component into the Analysis and Its Impact on the Comparison between Measured and Predicted Performance
Abstract
A novel integral compound parabolic concentrator evacuated solar collector (ICPC) array has been in continuous operation at a demonstration project in Sacramento California since 1998. An ongoing study addresses the impact of optical, thermal, degradation and component failure factors on array performance over the eleven years of operation. This paper reports on how two primary failure modes have affected optical and thermal performance of the evacuated tubes and the array.