Economic Advantages of Fresnel at a Glance

Compared to other CSP technologies, parabolic trough plants for instance, the Fresnel collector has two main advantages pertaining to economic efficiency. The initial investment costs for the system are lower, and so are the expenses for operation and maintenance.

• Fresnel works with flat horizontal mirrors that are inexpensive and can be manufactured almost everywhere. Aside from the mere production costs, the tracking system which is required to move the mirrors after the sun is much simpler.
• Direct Steam Generation (DSG) uses water as heat transfer fluid (HTF) but not thermo oil which would require the use of a heat exchanger. Both reduces costs considerably. The use of water instead of oil as HTF constitutes an additional ecological upside.
• The flat horizontal mirrors of the Fresnel reflector have far less exposure to wind. Therefore the mirror field can be thrice as wide as a parabolic trough without compromising structural integrity. This allows the plant to be operational at higher wind speeds.
• Flat mirrors can be cleaned easily in an automated process with low water consumption, guaranteeing maximum efficiency and lower operation costs.
• The Fresnel collector has a fixed absorber tube and therefore doesn’t require flexible high pressure joints or thermal expansion bows.
• The Fresnel collector features no expensive vacuum technology or metal or glass sealing which would entail special manufacturing.
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