A procedure for the characterization of the solar-weighted reflectance of mirrored reflectors

Concentrating solar thermal power, more commonly referred to as CSP, concentrate direct solar radiation to heat a fluid and produce steam or vapor of another working fluid. Collectors, whether for parabolic trough, power tower, Fresnel mirror, or solar dish, comprise up to 40% of the total system costs for CSP collectors' technologies. Reducing the cost of CSP systems involves improved collector designs and advanced optical materials that have low cost, high performance, and good durability. The aim of researcher was to develop a procedure which allows characterizing the solar-weighted reflectance of solar mirrors under laboratory conditions using a spectrophotometer and an integrating sphere.