Solar-thermal technology has been successfully used to drive biomass gasification, metals reduction and electrical generation in a renewable manner. The development of these applications relies on high-flux solar simulators: assemblies of high power lamps whose irradiance mimics concentrated sunlight. These platforms provide controlled environments for the evaluation solar-thermal technologies at the laboratory scale. To date more than seven high-flux solar simulators are available worldwide for academic studies.In conjunction with Alpha-Omega Power Technologies (LLC), we evaluated choices in high-flux solar simulator construction. This included the effect of different reflector coatings â?? uncoated, silvered, and aluminized â?? on lamp efficiency. Additionally, the importance of automated filament positioning was quantified. These results educated the installation of a new, 45 kW, solar simulator at the University of Colorado Boulder.
