The potential use of solar furnaces for industrial applications has been an attractive idea in the last years due to their high flux density and the accurate control which satisfies the productive industry requirements and facilitates the implementation of the solar technology within the industrial sector. An important aspect to take into account when designing a solar furnace is the heliostat field layout and its relative size compared to the aperture area of the secondary concentrator of the solar furnace as a consequence of the latitude where the solar facility is located. In this work, the influence of the latitude and atmospheric conditions in the final design and energy cost of solar furnaces for its use in industrial applications has been analyzed. Different criteria have been applied to perform design optimizations for different geographical locations. Results obtained have been discussed and some guidelines regarding solar furnace design and optimization according to the final site location have been indicated. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.