Solar Concentrators and Heating Explained - How it can Benefit Industries

The first thing many might be wondering is: ‘What’s a solar concentrator?’

In short, a solar concentrator is a solar thermal collector which focuses the light with mirrors to make heat. As the sunlight is concentrated, the system can produce higher temperatures. A solar concentrator follows the sun during the day to all the time direct the solar radiation towards a single point. Think of a solar concentrator as a magnifying lens. By focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass, it is possible to heat up a piece of paper to the point that it becomes hot enough to catch fire.

The same principle applies to solar concentrators in that they harness heat by directing sunlight towards a specific spot (without catching fire). The heat can then be stored or used.

So far so good?

The heat can be used to power a turbine and generate electricity, but an even more profitable way of using the solar radiation is to generate steam for industrial processes that need heat.

As it happens, a lot of industries require both heating and cooling as part of their production cycle. Manufacturers use heat in a variety of different ways. Such as for washing, cooking, sterilizing, drying or pasteurisation to name a few. An example where heating is a necessity is in the production of dairy products where it is used to kill bacteria.

Another example is a chocolate bar. Mass production of chocolate bars requires that the chocolate is heated at some point so it can be shaped and moulded.

Depending on the industry, heating requirements vary but many production processes will consume plenty of heat. This can be expensive and unless renewable energy sources are used, it will also impact the environment negatively by emitting pollution. A dairy plant or a chocolate factory also use some electricity to power pumps and lighting in the factory. As a rule of thumb, the energy that a food and beverage industry uses is ? electricity and ? heat.

Environmentally Friendly Solar Concentrators for Industrial Heating or Cooling

Now this is where the brilliance of solar concentrators comes into the picture. By installing solar concentrators, a manufacturer can have their own renewable energy heat source. This heat can be used as part of the production cycle.

For instance, using solar concentrators to either heat up or cool down processes.

Going back to the example of making chocolate bars, the heat required to melt chocolate can be generated using solar concentrators instead of creating heat using electricity or burning oil or gas.

An additional advantage is that there is a near endless supply of solar radiation available. Joakim Bystr?m, CEO and founder of Absolicon sums it up nicely: “Sunlight is a free resource. That means access to free energy for perpetuity.”

What about Solar Concentrators and Independence from Energy Price Fluctuations?

Recently energy security has become a hot topic on a global scale. This is also an area where solar concentrators, part of solar thermal energy, is important. Solar thermal is the third largest source globally for renewable heat, after biomass and renewable electricity.

When reliable renewable heat is produced internally there is no need to purchase external energy for heating. This decreases the impact of external supply shocks from events that are beyond a manufacturer’s control.

So, by investing in solar concentrators manufacturers can help insulate themselves from wild or unpredictable energy price movements. Using solar concentrators for heating is also an environmentally healthier option and is considered a renewable energy alternative.