Abstract
The phenomenon of self-absorption is by far the largest influential factor in the efficiency of luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), but also the most challenging one to capture computationally. In this work we present a model using a multiple-generation light transport (MGLT) approach to quantify light transport through single-layer luminescent solar concentrators of arbitrary shape and size. We demonstrate that MGLT offers a significant speed increase over Monte Carlo (raytracing) when optimizing the luminophore concentration in large LSCs and more insight into light transport processes. Our results show that optimizing luminophore concentration in a lab-scale device does not yield an optimal optical efficiency after scaling up to realistically sized windows. Each differently sized LSC therefore has to be optimized individually to obtain maximal efficiency. We show that, for strongly self-absorbing LSCs with a high quantum yield, parasitic self-absorption can turn into a positive effect at very high absorption coefficients. This is due to a combination of increased light trapping and stronger absorption of the incoming sunlight. We conclude that, except for scattering losses, MGLT can compute all aspects in light transport through an LSC accurately and can be used as a design tool for building-integrated photovoltaic elements. This design tool is therefore used to calculate many building-integrated LSC power conversion efficiencies.
Highlights
Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) are a promising solution for the wide adoption of electricity generation through solar energy
We demonstrate that multiple-generation light transport (MGLT) offers a significant speed increase over Monte Carlo when optimizing the luminophore concentration in large luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) and more insight into light transport processes
We have shown that, using a multiple-generation light transport model based on Beer-Lambert’s law, light transport without scattering through an LSC of arbitrary geometry can be precisely and fully characterized, with only a relative difference of 4.4 ± 7.7 % between MGLT and Monte Carlo (MC) for 1 m2 LSCs
Summary
Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) are a promising solution for the wide adoption of electricity generation through solar energy. A luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) is such a transparent potential BIPV. Reabsorbed light is often not reemitted with unity efficiency, and, even when reemitted, typically has a 25 % chance of being lost through the escape-cone This parasitic self-absorption yields increasing losses with bigger LSCs. an accurate and fast treatment of the effect of self-absorption on LSC efficiency is needed to both calculate LSC efficiency and to optimize this efficiency for large LSCs intended for BIPV use. In materials featuring a large amount of self-absorption and a high quantum yield ηqy, tracing a single photon in a system will take longer with increasing optical density. We present a method that fully describes light transport within an LSC This method can quickly and accurately optimize large-size LSCs through the variation of luminophore concentration. The potential as BIPV window is evaluated for all presented LSCs, after optimizing their optical efficiency
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