Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) Technology EHS Challenges

Ghelli, Craig; Sherer, Mike
(SolFocus, Inc., Mesa, AZ)

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Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology is a growing field in the field of renewable solar energy. CPV involves focusing sunlight into a small area to intensify power, then converting to electrical energy via high efficiency photovoltaic cells. One of the key components to such a system are the optical components used to collect and focus the sunlight. SolFocus uses simple optics, using specially shaped mirrors to concentrate the sun. These mirrors are manufactured using traditional mirror technologies; however, in today’s economy, new startup ventures have limited resources to implement the appropriate Environmental, Safety, and Health requirements to meet federal and local standards. This presentation will discuss the challenges of meeting these requirements for air quality, hazardous waste streams, and wastewater effluents in a small renewable energy startup.

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