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.