Exploring the limits of concentration for UHCPV

At high solar concentration, subtle optical and electrical effects in combination can have a substantial impact on photovoltaic power (PV) generation. We have identified such an effect through its clear signature: a "ripple" in the output current with respect to the pointing angle of the concentrated PV (CPV) system to sun direction. At small angular misalignment, this effect can lower cell current by as much as 15% at 1600x concentration in full sun. At medium concentration between 500 and 1000x, while not as clearly visible in single cells, the effect also reduces output by a smaller amount. The disappearance of the "ripple" signature at low concentrations below 300x indicates that the effect is not a linear effect, such as a light loss. We attribute the pronounced angular sensitivity of power output at high concentrations to a combination of inhomogeneous spectral irradiation incident on the multijunction solar cell and of the impact of the finite lateral resistance of the cell.

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“…Several factors can reduce CPV efficiency as concentration is increased [3]. Some are purely optical factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Concentration Photovoltaics—Effect of Inhomogeneous Spectral Irradiation

Martin

Kirchner

Kessel

et al. 2015

IEEE J. Photovoltaics

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“…Reference [1] described the limits associated with achieving ultra-high concentration. At these ultra-high levels of concentration, technical challenges are more significant, and hence extreme care must be taken in the design and manufacture of the systems, otherwise failures will occur.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultra-high CPV system development and deployment in Saudi Arabia

Khonkar¹,

Wacaser²,

Martin³

et al. 2013

AIP Conference Proceedings

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This paper discusses the development and deployment of an ultra-high concentrating PV module that utilizes concentration above 1400X on multijunction solar cells. The development process included the selection of cell assemblies, primary and secondary optics, and focal distance. The systems were deployed in Saudi Arabia inside the Solar Village near Riyadh and in Khafji near the border of Saudi and Kuwait, following the deployment of first prototype in Yorktown, NY. Data from operation in those areas are shown here, and next steps of optimizing the module performance are discussed.

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