Initial Field Testing of Concentrating Solar Photovoltaic (CSPV) Thermal Hybrid Solar Energy Generator Utilizing Large Aperture Parabolic Trough and Spectrum Selective Mirrors

Abstract

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has completed initial field testing of a test unit of the MH Solar Concentrating Solar Photovoltaic (CSPV) system. The CSPV unit is a retrofit system for use with a parabolic trough type concentrating solar power (CSP) thermal solar collector which redirects a portion of the incident solar radiation spectrum to a PV module while allowing normal operation of the thermal system to continue. The system was tested at the UL Lafayette Solar Energy Laboratory utilizing the existing Large Aperture Trough (LAT) test field. The dichroic cold mirror reflected solar radiation of between 500 and 1000 nm to the MH Solar vertical multi junction (VMJ) silicon PV cells (known as the MIH VMJ cells) which provided high efficiency operation under a concentration ratio of 30. The testing produced a PV module efficiency of 30% across the portion of the spectrum which was redirected, while the thermal efficiency was reduced by only about 9 percentage points, resulting in an overall efficiency increase of the power plant. The total power output of the power plant could therefore be increased through utilization of the hybrid configuration.