Comparative Study of Parabolic Trough Collector and Solar Power Tower Technology

The concentrated solar power technology (CSPT) is being looked upon as solution ofincreasing energy requirement of the world of today. The current non-conventional sources ofenergy are satisfying only 6.9% of the total potential of the renewable sources in India (i.e.5594MW out of the total 81,200 MW) [1] This is mainly due to the huge expenses associatedwith manufacture and installment of solar cell panels and their lesser efficiency than theconventional sources of energy.[1] The presented technology claims to convert the solar heatdirectly into electricity, without using photovoltaic cells. It is also acclaimed to be the cheapestand the cleanest source of energy ever available on earth. However, the technology is still in itsformative phase in many parts of the world. The present paper gives a detailed overview ofstructure and working of two main types of CSPT plants, i.e. the parabolic trough collectors andthe solar power tower technology with focus on their merits and limitations. It further intends tocompare them on the bases of their structure, efficiency and deployment.