Optical element design for the retrofit of the world’s first concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) power plant

Abstract

The world’s oldest, and still functional, Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) power plant originally rated at 350 kW, and is situated 50 km from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There are ongoing efforts to retrofit the modules with new secondary optics and triple-junction cell devices. The paper characterizes the initial optical train, whose design is non-conventional in its use of a two-area primary Fresnel lens. The first generation of a retrofit receiver package is described. Challenges beyond the optical design are encountered, including tracking and structural mechanics.The world’s oldest, and still functional, Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) power plant originally rated at 350 kW, and is situated 50 km from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There are ongoing efforts to retrofit the modules with new secondary optics and triple-junction cell devices. The paper characterizes the initial optical train, whose design is non-conventional in its use of a two-area primary Fresnel lens. The first generation of a retrofit receiver package is described. Challenges beyond the optical design are encountered, including tracking and structural mechanics.