Due to a large area of heat absorbing surfaces and effects of uncertain windy condition, both the convective heat loss and solarthermal conversion efficiency of cavity receivers were unsteady. In order to reduce effects of wind on the cavity receiver performance, a novel cavity receiver design which had a windshield on its opening was investigated in the present study. The windshield could reduce the fluid flow disturbance inside the cavity, so that the convective heat transfer between the heat absorbing surfaces and ambient air were weakened, and the convective heat loss of the cavity receiver would be reduced. A solarthermal coupling numerical model was established firstly, and then effects of windshield material and wind were studied. The results showed that the material of windshield had a big influence on the receiver convective heat loss, and the convective heat loss would increase with a solid wall windshield, while with a porous material windshield, the convective heat loss would decrease. The pressurejump coefficient and thickness of the porous material windshield were key factors affecting its performance. As the pressurejump coefficient increased, the optimal thickness decreased. For the optimal pressurejump coefficient and thickness, the convective heat loss could be reduced by about 53.0%. The results in the present study could provide theoretical and technical guidance for design of cavity receivers.