This paper describes an approach of making the FLATCON® CPV technology compatible with standard photovoltaic simulation software like PVSYST and INSEL in order to facilitate yield estimations for potential power plant sites. Due to the use of triple-junction cells, the FLATCON® CPV module efficiency is more sensitive to changes in the solar spectrum than the efficiency of an average single-junction flat plate module. Besides that, the concentrating optics show a temperature dependency. These effects result in a non-linear component in the short circuit dependency on the direct normal irradiance. By means of introducing a "Utilization Factor", deduced from both measured data and theoretical considerations, these CPV peculiarities can be considered in standard software tools and transferred to other locations without the need of overly complex measurements or algorithms.
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.