Heliostats - Follow the Sun for more Power!

A heliostat is an instrument that trails the movement of the sun during its daily path across the sky. As an accessory in a solar energy system, it is used to orient a mirror to reflect the light to a target, usually stationery. This helps to increase the amount of useable energy that a solar power system can generate.

Heliostats have been used in other industries such a civil engineering. Surveyors will use an instrument that operates in the same manner, to focus the suns rays in a fixed direction to help them observe a constant point. This enables them to map and layout points on an uneven surface.

A heliostat operates like a sunflower, following the sun in two dimensions. It has an internal mirror that moves either automatically, by computer generated instruction or manually, by human intervention. As it follows the sun the mirror moves into an optimal position for redirecting the sun's light toward a target. This instrument allows more consistency and intensity than other solar reflectors or unaided solar panels, because it is always in the correct position.

Several heliostats can be combined in row or columns known as an array. When there are more heliostats in an array, a greater amount of power can be collected by the solar system panels. As an example, the sun delivers approximately 1000 watts per square meter. A one square foot (.093 square meters) mirror can be expected to redirect around 80 watts of power after reflective losses, an efficiency rating of 92%. If a static collecting system, without heliostat and not moving is 81% efficient, (loss due to sun being out of position) then the increase in power collection is 14%.

Heliostats help deliver more power.