Maximization of module conversion efficiency based on global normal irradiance (GNI) rather than direct normal irradiance (DNI) was experimentally demonstrated using a hybrid concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) architecture in which a low-cost solar cell (a bifacial crystalline silicon cell) was integrated with a high-efficiency concentrator solar cell (III-V triple-junction cell) to harvest diffuse sunlight. The results of outdoor experiments showed that the low-cost cell enhanced the generated power by factors of 1.39 and 1.63 for high-DNI and midrange-DNI conditions, respectively, and that the resultant GNI-based module efficiencies were 32.7% and 25.6%, respectively.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.