Stretchable micro-scale concentrator photovoltaic module with 15.4% efficiency for three-dimensional curved surfaces

Daisuke Sato,Noboru Yamada,Taizo Masuda,Ryota Tomizawa,Masafumi Yamaguchi,Kenji Araki,Kenichi Okumura,Akinori Sato

doi:10.1038/s43246-020-00106-x

Abstract

Stretchable photovoltaics are emerging power sources for collapsible electronics, biomedical devices, and buildings and vehicles with curved surfaces. Development of stretchable photovoltaics are crucial to achieve rapid growth of the future photovoltaic market. However, owing to their rigidity, existing thin-film solar cells based predominantly on silicon, compound semiconductors, and perovskites are difficult to apply to 3D curved surfaces, which are potential real-world candidates. Herein, we present a stretchable micro-scale concentrator photovoltaic module with a geometrical concentration ratio of 3.5×. When perfectly fitted on a 3D curved surface with a sharp curvature, the prototype module achieves an outdoor power conversion efficiency of 15.4% and the daily generated electricity yield improves to a maximum of 190% relative to a non-concentration stretchable photovoltaic module. Thus, this module design enables high areal coverage on 3D curved surfaces, while generating a higher electricity yield in a limited installation area.

Highlights

Stretchable photovoltaics are emerging power sources for collapsible electronics, biomedical devices, and buildings and vehicles with curved surfaces
When perfectly fitted on a 3D curved surface with a sharp curvature, a prototype module achieves an outdoor power conversion efficiency of 15.4% and the daily generated electricity yield improves to a maximum of 190% relative to a non-concentration stretchable PV module
The prototype module could be fitted on a motorcycle helmet, which has a nonspherical 3D curved surface; the module could fit perfectly on an airfoil-shaped surface, which has sharper and more complex curves, with curvatures that vary by position; it could fit perfectly on a concave surface

Summary

Introduction

Stretchable photovoltaics are emerging power sources for collapsible electronics, biomedical devices, and buildings and vehicles with curved surfaces. When perfectly fitted on a 3D curved surface with a sharp curvature, the prototype module achieves an outdoor power conversion efficiency of 15.4% and the daily generated electricity yield improves to a maximum of 190% relative to a non-concentration stretchable photovoltaic module. This module design enables high areal coverage on 3D curved surfaces, while generating a higher electricity yield in a limited installation area. Some of the authors proposed low-concentration static CPV (Cg ≤ 4×), and clarified that optimally designed concentrators have wide acceptance operation angles of several tens of degrees without sun-tracking[38,39]

Methods

Results

Conclusion