Performance analysis of offshore solar power plants

Large flat land surfaces, where direct normal irradiance (DNI) is high enough for concentrating solar power (CSP), are scarce in Europe. Floating offshore solar power plants in the Mediterranean Sea could increase the European solar power resources significantly. In this paper a solar collector platform design is investigated, where individual platform segments are supported by several air chambers, which are formed by cylindrical flexible membrane skirts. This paper is focused on the optical performance of the collector platform which is simulated in a dynamic model. Two types of concentrators are considered: (1) Parabolic Trough Collectors and (2) Pneumatic Pre-Stressed Solar Concentrators. From experimental data gained from a 4x4 m physical model, we have obtained the general characteristics of the platform. Using wave data of the Mediterranean Sea, the motion of the platform in different sea states is calculated. The dependency of the concentrator system on the angle of incident, which is in this case also a function of the platform motion due to ocean waves, is obtained from ray tracing. Solar irradiance is derived from satellite data and also included in the model. Combining all these data in one dynamic model, the achievable optical performance of a floating offshore solar power plant is calculated as a function of time and location. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.