Winston Cone Optics (WCO) has installed a 552 ft2 (51.3 m2) prototype solar thermal array at the UC Merced Castle Research Facility in Atwater, CA to measure the 2023 annual performance while powering a number of thermal processes, including a thermal evaporator for carbon-free wastewater volume reductions, and an elevated temperature hot water storage system with controlled output water temperature for 24/7 solar heat delivery. In addition, the team is testing stagnation control. This project is supported by the California Energy Commission under PIR-20-004. The solar field is expected to generate 20kW of thermal power at 300 F (150 C).
