A solar field can be made of tens of thousands of heliostats (sun-tracking mirrors) or photovoltaic panels. Each of these needs to be placed as near to its neighbours as possible while managing problems like shading (being positioned between the sun and another panel), blocking (coming between reflected light and a solar thermal receiver), and collisions. The layout will also be influenced by terrain, geographic location, receiver design, and desired power collection profile.
Optimising these systems is complex. The solar resource and energy demand vary with the weather, season and time of day, and often require a statistical approach. Efficient packing of panels requires complex three-dimensional analysis. A central receiver system will also be more efficient if its field and receiver are developed in tandem, so that one is optimised for the other.
At Sunopti, we have the expertise to design solar fields that meet the specific needs of each individual project.