History, current state, and future of linear Fresnel concentrating solar collectors

•Summarized the technical aspects of linear Fresnel technology.•Reviewed the past, current state of linear Fresnel developments.•Developed the roadmap of linear Fresnel toward the DOE SunShot Initiative goal. Linear Fresnel collectors are a type of concentrating solar power technology. In this paper, the technology’s technical features and aspects are first described via illustrations of various design concepts; then, the past low- and intermediate-temperature applications of linear Fresnel collectors are reviewed and their state-of-the-art applications in utility-scale electricity generation are presented; finally, the performance, technical challenges, and future outlook of linear Fresnel technology in the context of utility-scale power plants are summarized.