A solar mirror parabolic dish (or parabolic dish solar concentrator) is a curved mirror shaped like a paraboloid that reflects incoming sunlight to a focal point. At that focal point, a receiver (such as a heat absorber or an engine) collects the concentrated solar energy and converts it into heat or electricity. The Department of Energy's Energy.gov+2PMC+2
Because of its geometric shape, parallel rays of sunlight are focused to a common focal point, allowing very high intensities of solar flux. This ability makes parabolic dish systems one of the most effective types of concentrated solar power (CSP) technology.
How Solar Parabolic Dishes Work
Here’s a breakdown of the working principle:
Mirror reflector: The dish is lined with reflecting surfaces (silvered glass, polished metal, or reflective films) that redirect incoming sunlight.
Sun tracking: To maintain focus, the dish usually tracks the sun along two axes (azimuth and elevation) so that sunlight remains incident parallel to the dish’s axis. PMC+3The Department of Energy's Energy.gov+3arXiv+3
Receiver & absorber: At the dish’s focal point sits a receiver (often small in cross section). The concentrated sunlight heats up a working fluid (e.g. water, air, oil) or a Stirling engine. pubs.aip.org+3The Department of Energy's Energy.gov+3PMC+3
Energy conversion: The thermal energy is converted to useful work—steam turbines, generators, or thermoelectric elements. The Department of Energy's Energy.gov+2PMC+2
Heat losses & efficiency: Some of the concentrated heat is lost via convection, conduction, and radiation. Shielding designs, cavity receivers, and insulation help reduce these losses. PMC+2Wiley Online Library+2
Because of the high concentrating ratio (ratio of mirror area to receiver area), dish systems can reach very high temperatures—often exceeding 600 °C in practical installations.
Applications & Use Cases
Electricity generation: Dish–Stirling systems have been prototyped for small to mid-scale power plants. PMC+3The Department of Energy's Energy.gov+3arXiv+3
Industrial process heat: Because of high-temperature capability, they’re suitable for steam generation, chemical processing, or desalination.
Solar cookers & clean cooking: Modified parabolic reflectors (e.g. Scheffler reflectors) are used in community kitchens for solar cooking.
Solar water heating, sterilization, and thermal applications in off-grid or remote settings.
One practical demonstration is a 12.6 m² dish concentrator built using a low-cost design method, showing that with careful engineering, costs can be reduced.
