Advancing Efficiency and Scale in CPV Arrays

Kinsey, Geoffrey S.; Bagienski, William; Nayak, Ajit Kumar; Liu, Mingguo; Gordon, Robert L.; Garboushian, Vahan

doi:10.1109/jphotov.2012.2227992

Cited by 25 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…An impediment to defining additional "operating spectra," consistent with what is now required for temperature and irradiance, has been the uncertainty around what those operating spectra should be. Results presented here and in the literature (Alonso-Abella et al, 2014;Amillo et al, 2015;Cornaro and Andreotti, 2013;Dirnberger et al, 2015;Faine et al, 1991;Fernandez et al, 2015;Gottschalg et al, 2004;Huld and Gracia Amillo, 2015;Ishii et al, 2013;Kinsey et al, 2013;Kinsey, 2015;Lee et al, 2015;Marzo et al, 2017;Minemoto et al, 2007;Monokroussos et al, 2011;Nann and Emery, 1992;Peters and Buonassisi, 2018;Philipps et al, 2010;Schweiger, 2015;Simon and Meyer, 2011;Ye et al, 2014) indicate that this concern is subordinate to the uncertainty arising from reliance on testing under a single-value standard spectrum. Any additional standard spectrum will convert the existing single-value specification into a performance range that, however limited, will enable interpolation and/or extrapolation to conditions of interest to the "customer".…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

“…For the fixed-tilt configuration, the site latitude was chosen as the tilt angle. Six hourly "direct" spectra (for sunlight coming directly from the vicinity of the solar disc, derived separately) are also included (Kinsey et al, 2013). The direct spectra are relevant primarily for the III-V multijunctions, which are most often used in optical systems that effectively capture only the direct solar beam (Appendix C).…”

Section: Synthetic Spectramentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within FARMS-NIT, clear-sky irradiance is first calculated using SMARTS (Simple Model of the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer of Sunshine) (Gueymard, 1995;. SMARTS has demonstrated predictive power for the operation of spectrum-sensitive solar cells (Kinsey et al, 2013). A version of SMARTS (v. 2.9.2) is the basis for defining the current American Society for Testing and Materials standards for AM1.5G and AM1.5D (ASTM G173-03), as well as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard for AM1.5 (IEC 60904-03).…”

Section: Synthesized Spectramentioning

confidence: 99%

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Solar cell efficiency divergence due to operating spectrum variation

Kinsey¹

2021

Solar Energy

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A limitation in the performance rating of solar cells and modules is that they are tested using a single value for the solar spectrum. To map the performance expected under the varying spectra found in operating conditions, solar cell efficiencies have been evaluated using solar spectra generated by the National Solar Radiation Database, applied to confirmed record-efficiency cell parameters. Nine solar cell types (single-junction and multijunction) are evaluated using spectra at more than forty locations, spanning 76° of latitude and 150° of longitude, at hourly intervals over a year. Relative to the standard test efficiency, increases in annual operating efficiency are seen in cadmium telluride and single-junction perovskite designs, while efficiency decreases are observed in two-terminal multijunction structures. Though silicon exhibits the least variation, its-3% to +2% range in relative efficiency is equivalent to ~20° C of temperature variation. This divergence in operating efficiencies indicates that evaluation using a single spectrum is not a sufficient basis for comparison, or prediction of energy yield in operation. Application of an additional "operating spectrum," to complement the standard test spectrum, is proposed. Fig. 1. Source locations for spectra in this study. Each marker represents about 4000 hourly spectra, for wavelengths from 280 nm to 4000 nm. In six locations, hourly spectra were generated for direct normal irradiance (DNI) using inputs from the Typical Meteorological Year 3 database (NREL, 2010) to generate spectra using the SMARTS model (Gueymard, 1995). Map courtesy of NREL's NSRDB.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

Section: Synthetic Spectramentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Synthesized Spectramentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Solar cell efficiency divergence due to operating spectrum variation

Kinsey¹

2021

Solar Energy

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…An impediment to defining additional "operating spectra," consistent with what is now required for temperature and irradiance, has been the uncertainty around what those operating spectra should be. Results presented here and in the literature (Alonso-Abella et al, 2014;Amillo et al, 2015;Cornaro and Andreotti, 2013;Dirnberger et al, 2015;Faine et al, 1991;Fernandez et al, 2015;Gottschalg et al, 2004;Huld and Gracia Amillo, 2015;Ishii et al, 2013;Kinsey et al, 2013;Kinsey, 2015;Lee et al, 2015;Marzo et al, 2017;Minemoto et al, 2007;Monokroussos et al, 2011;Nann and Emery, 1992;Peters and Buonassisi, 2018;Philipps et al, 2010;Schweiger, 2015;Simon and Meyer, 2011;Ye et al, 2014) indicate that this concern is subordinate to the uncertainty arising from reliance on testing under a single-value standard spectrum. Any additional standard spectrum will convert the current single-value specification into a performance range that, however limited, will enable interpolation and/or extrapolation to conditions of interest to the "customer".…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

Solar cell efficiency divergence due to operating spectrum variation

Kinsey¹

2020

Preprint

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“…Multi‐junction (MJ) concentrator solar cells have the highest theoretical limit among the available solar cells and produce the highest cell conversion efficiencies—currently in excess of 40% and eventually expected to reach 50% . Field test results have shown that state‐of‐the‐art high‐concentration concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules and systems using MJ cells produce module conversion efficiencies greater than 30%, based on direct normal irradiance (DNI) to the module aperture . CPV technology is advantageous for high‐DNI regions but is not currently attractive for midrange‐DNI regions, where the ratio of direct (beam) sunlight to global sunlight is not very high, because high‐concentration optics cannot concentrate diffuse sunlight to solar cells because the acceptance angle is limited .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maximization of conversion efficiency based on global normal irradiance using hybrid concentrator photovoltaic architecture

Yamada

Hirai

2016

Progress in Photovoltaics

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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.

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Advancing Efficiency and Scale in CPV Arrays

Cited by 25 publications

References 10 publications

Solar cell efficiency divergence due to operating spectrum variation

Solar cell efficiency divergence due to operating spectrum variation

Solar cell efficiency divergence due to operating spectrum variation

Maximization of conversion efficiency based on global normal irradiance using hybrid concentrator photovoltaic architecture

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