43% Sunlight to Electricity Conversion Efficiency Using CPV

Steiner, Marc; Siefer, Gerald; Schmidt, Thomas; Wiesenfarth, Maike; Dimroth, Frank; Bett, Andreas W.

doi:10.1109/jphotov.2016.2551460

Cited by 76 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Furthermore, highaccuracy tracking increases system cost. Record PV conversion efficiencies have been obtained using this configuration [12,13].…”

Section: Types Of Concentrators 321 Geometrical Concentrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…CPV has achieved very high efficiencies using four-junction solar cells made of III-V semiconductors: 46% for a solar cell under 508 suns of intensity [11], 43% for a single-lens concentrator [12] and 38.9% for a whole module with an aperture area of 812.3 cm 2 [13]. However, due to the much smaller installed capacity and maturity of CPV systems, their price is still higher than that of flat-plate systems, with an estimated system cost between 1.4 and 2.2 €/Wp and an LCOE between 0.10 €/kWh and 0.15 €/kWh at locations with a high fraction of direct irradiance, around 2000 kWh m −2 per year [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thin-film micro-concentrator solar cells

et al. 2019

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Photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion of sunlight into electricity is now a well-established technology and a strong further expansion of PV will be seen in the future to answer the increasing demand for clean and renewable energy. Concentrator PV (CPV) employs optical elements to concentrate sunlight onto small solar cells, offering the possibility of replacing expensive solar cells with more economic optical elements, and higher device power conversion efficiencies. While CPV has mainly been explored for highly efficient single-crystalline and multi-junction solar cells, the combination of thinfilm solar cells with the concentration approach opens up new horizons in CPV. Typical fabrication of thin-film solar cells can be modified for efficient, high-throughput and parallel production of organized arrays of micro solar cells. Their combination with microlens arrays promises to deliver micro-concentrator solar modules with a similar form factor to present day flat-panel PV. Such thinfilm micro-concentrator PV modules would use significantly less semiconductor solar cell material (reducing the use of critical raw materials) and lead to a higher energy production (by means of concentrated sunlight), with the potential to lead to a lower levelized cost of electricity. This review article gives an overview of the present state-of-the-art in the fabrication of thin-film micro solar cells based on Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 absorber materials and introduces optical concentration systems that can be combined to build the future thin-film micro-concentrator PV technology.

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“…Furthermore, highaccuracy tracking increases system cost. Record PV conversion efficiencies have been obtained using this configuration [12,13].…”

Section: Types Of Concentrators 321 Geometrical Concentrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thin-film micro-concentrator solar cells

et al. 2019

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“…The resulting flux distribution on the solar cells can also be a source of electrical losses. 14,27 In this work, the distance between grid fingers for the solar cells illuminated with the flux profile at CSR 5 is optimised for highest electrical performance. The power output at grid finger distances designed for nonuniform illumination and distances designed for uniform illumination with the same total intensity is compared.…”

Section: Losses Due To the Flux Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematic design evaluation on the example of a concentrator photovoltaic module with mirror optics and passive heat dissipation

Wiesenfarth

Gamisch

Jakob

et al. 2018

Progress in Photovoltaics

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In the design of concentrator photovoltaic modules, numerous components need to be optimised to achieve the highest performance of the complete system while simultaneously maintaining low costs for the manufacturing processes. In this paper, we present a systematic analysis of different designs of concentrator photovoltaic modules using mirror optics to concentrate the solar radiation by a factor of 1000 with passive heat dissipation. Module designs based on 4 different arrangements for the optics are investigated: on‐axis, asymmetrical, and Cassegrain with and without tertiary optics. Each design is optimised for high thermal, optical, and electrical performance via finite element method, ray tracing, and network simulations. Concepts for manufacturing are also proposed. The 4 specific designs are evaluated and compared in a systematic benefit analysis. In this analysis, 9 criteria are defined to describe the module performance and manufacturability. To quantify the benefit of each module design, utility values—a score to provide a value to the benefit—and weighting factors are defined. With this systematic analysis, the strengths and potential for optimisation are identified, and the different designs are compared. In addition, the potential for improvement is discussed surveying the different criteria.

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“…Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems, which utilize highly efficient PV cells under concentrated solar radiation, are solutions for reduction of the solar electricity cost. The main purpose of CPVs is the utilization of low-cost concentrating optical components that dramatically reduce the required cell area, allowing for the replacing of low-electricity-conversion-efficiency solar cells by expensive but high-efficiency cells [2,3]. A CPV system that can achieve an efficiency of 38.9% at standard test conditions has been demonstrated by the Soitec Company (Bernin, France) recently [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flat Concentrator Photovoltaic System with Lateral Displacement Tracking for Residential Rooftops

Shin

2018

Energies

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We present a design for a flat concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system that requires only lateral displacement for sun-tracking, intended for residential rooftop applications. Compared with flat-plate photovoltaics (PVs), CPV technology is essential for reducing the use of semi-conductor materials, which also enables cheaper solar power generation. Existing CPV designs are more bulky and complex than traditional PV panel techniques and are therefore better suited to solar farms than rooftop use. In this study, we explore an alternate approach, employing a mirror-coated lenslet array, to demonstrate a flat CPV system for rooftop installation. This mirror-coated lenslet array collects solar radiation and concentrates it with a very short focal length. The lateral movement of lenslet focal points according to a changing incident angle of sunlight allows for the use of a lateral displacement tracking mechanism. A square array of solar cells integrated on a transparent sheet is placed on top of a mirror-coated lenslet array to collect focused sunlight and convert it to electricity. The proposed CPV panel can be achieved with a 35 mm thickness. Simulation models were developed using commercial optical design software (LightTools). The simulation demonstrates an optical efficiency of up to 89.5% when the concentration ratio of the system is fixed to 50×. The simplicity of the structure enables cheaper mass production. Our quest for a lateral displacement sun-tracking mechanism also shows that the system has a high tolerance, thereby enabling cost savings by replacing a highly precise, active sun-tracking system with a lower-accuracy system. The presented flat CPV is a strong candidate for a low-cost, high-efficiency solar energy system that can be installed on the rooftops of residential buildings to deliver energy savings.

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43% Sunlight to Electricity Conversion Efficiency Using CPV

Cited by 76 publications

References 13 publications

Thin-film micro-concentrator solar cells

Thin-film micro-concentrator solar cells

Systematic design evaluation on the example of a concentrator photovoltaic module with mirror optics and passive heat dissipation

Flat Concentrator Photovoltaic System with Lateral Displacement Tracking for Residential Rooftops

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