Reducing costs in solar heat: A comparative study of rotatory Fresnel and parabolic trough systems

This paper presents a techno-economic analysis of a novel rotating Fresnel solar collector, named the SunDial, for industrial process heat applications. The cost of the SunDial was estimated with an uncertainty margin, considering both the actual expenditure to build the prototype and a projected estimate for mass production. Two distinct SunDial prototypes were analyzed: one designed for low-latitude locations with single-axis azimuthal tracking, and another for high-latitude regions with dual-axis tracking. The study involved a prototype sizing assessment to determine the cost-effective dimensions for the SunDial. A detailed comparison was conducted with the market-leading parabolic trough collector, revealing that the dual-axis tracking SunDial exhibits more consistent annual energy production and a comparable levelized cost of heat in high-latitude regions. The findings suggest that these solar technologies are cost-competitive with the price of natural gas in central Europe. • The cost per reflective area of the rotatory Fresnel has been reduced by adjusting the collector size. • The novel rotating Fresnel collector presents a potentially cheaper LCOH than the natural gas in central Europe. • The single-axis tracking rotating Fresnel collector shows a lower performance and higher LCOH than the dual-tracking. • The dual-tracking Fresnel exhibits more consistent energy generation compared to the north-south oriented PTC. • The dual-tracking Fresnel produces 9 % less energy but has a similar LCOH to a PTC in high latitudes.