Abstract
Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) technology, by using efficient optical elements, small sizes and high efficiency multi-junction solar cells, can be seen as a bright energy source to produce more cost-effective electricity. The main and basic idea is to replace the use of expensive solar cells with less expensive optical elements made from different materials. This paper aims to give to the readers a rapid and concise overview of CPV and the main characteristics to be considered when designing a CPV system. It reviews the main optical configurations presented in the literature, their advantages and drawbacks, as well as the recent progress in the concentration ratio and the major performances achieved in the field. The paper considers the more recent works, their optical designs, as well as their optical and electrical performances. It also relates the major achievements on the industrial side with the major milestones in CPV developments.
Highlights
The most dominant Photovoltaic (PV) plants on the market (85%) are the crystalline silicon solar cells (Si-PV), due to the abundance of silicon dioxide (SiO2 ) and its low cost of manufacturing.those cells’ efficiencies are still relatively low
Light concentration on solar cells in one stage configurations can be performed through a reflective optical element, refraction, luminescence and TIR or any other element allowing the concentration of a large area of collected solar radiation on a small receiver area
For an Square Elliptical Hyperboloid Concentrator (SEHC) of a concentration of 4×, the results show a constant optical efficiency of 40% with a large acceptance angle of 120◦, within which this configuration allows the collection of both diffuse and direct radiation all day
Summary
The most dominant Photovoltaic (PV) plants on the market (85%) are the crystalline silicon solar cells (Si-PV), due to the abundance of silicon dioxide (SiO2 ) and its low cost of manufacturing. Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) systems use refractive and/or reflective non-imaging optical components to direct sunlight onto solar cells. Energies 2020, 13, 5721 the same energy or even more than the same production with the equivalent Si-PV surfaces It makes it possible to reduce the area of the solar cells used per module thanks to the increased received flux given by the surface ratio between the optical receiver and the solar cell, defined as the geometrical concentration of the module. This structural aspect allows CPV systems to achieve higher energy conversion efficiency at continuously lowered cost than other photovoltaic technologies.
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