Preliminary Design and Analysis of Low-Cost Concentrating Offshore Solar Energy Innovations
Abstract
Innovations in offshore floating solar energy systems are presented, which cost-effectively leverage simple, low risk & elegant configurations for synergistically harvesting electricity & usable heat. Preliminary designs along with technical & cost analyses are presented for several systems suitable for private owners, public or commercial waterfront entities, utility-scale applications & enabling applications for cities with 100% renewable goals. Examples of cost-reduction enablers that reduce levelized cost of energy (LCOE) include use of lightweight low-cost inflatable subsystems for low-concentration reflectors, low-cost dual-axis tracking for a floating array, elimination of land use, and CPV liquid cooling that can also transfer usable heat for hot water, building, swimming pool or process heat as well as solar district heating/cooling and desalination. Synergistic integration of multiple offshore renewables including offshore solar, wind, tidal or ocean current, and ocean thermal energy systems (OTEC) is also presented as an enabling means to achieve minimized LCOE in some geographic locations.
Keywords
Solar, Offshore, Land use, Low-cost, Lcoe, Innovation, Concentrating, Cogeneration, Heating, Cpv, Heliostatic, Tracking, Electricity, Heat, District heating, District cooling, Efficiently, Solar thermal, Wind, Tidal, Ocean, Otec, Desalination