Low cost anti-soiling coatings for CSP collector mirrors and heliostats

Abstract

Most concentrating solar power (CSP) facilities in the USA are located in the desert southwest of the country where land and sunshine are abundant. But one of the significant maintenance problems and cost associated with operating CSP facilities in this region is the accumulation of dust, sand and other pollutants on the collector mirrors and heliostats. In this paper we describe the development of low cost, easy to apply anti-soiling coatings based on superhydrophobic (SH) functionalized nano silica materials and polymer binders that posses the key requirements necessary to inhibit particulate deposition on and sticking to CSP mirror surfaces, and thereby significantly reducing mirror cleaning costs and facility downtime.