InPhoCUS (Inflated Photovoltaic Ultra‐light Mirror Concentrators): First Results Of The Project And Future Perspectives

InPhoCUS (Inflated PhotovoltaiC Ultra‐light mirror concentratorS) is a concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) project funded by the Swiss Confederation's Innovation Promotion Agency (CTI) and developed by Airlight Energy Holding SA, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. The proposed novel concentrating system has already been patented for concentrated solar power applications: it is made by unconventional pneumatic multilayer polymeric mirrors, has an innovative fibre‐reinforced concrete structure and an original tilting mechanism to track the sun. The innovative CPV solar collector is profitable for electric power plants both for the sun‐belt region and in the Mediterranean. In this paper the authors present the novel CPV system and preliminary results on cost analysis, optical design and thermal modelling.