Solar Concentrator Module Research Articles

Fabrication and performance evaluation of large–scale luminescent and plasmonic luminescent solar concentrator modules

This study presents the detailed fabrication and performance evaluation of large–scale luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) and plasmonic luminescent solar concentrator (PLSC) modules. Individual LSC, PLSC, and reference devices have been fabricated with dimensions of 10 x 10 x 0.5 cm. Five devices of each type were connected in series, ensuring correct photovoltaic cell polarity, to form cohesive modular groups with minimal mismatch. These solar concentrators were subsequently integrated into an outdoor panel designed to accommodate the modules for outdoor performance evaluations. Outputs of 240 mW, 213 mW, and 46 mW were observed for the individual PLSC, LSC and reference devices respectively from an indoor solar simulator test outputting 900 W/m2. Outdoor performance analysis has highlighted that the inclusion of metal nanoparticles within the PLSCs enhanced the outputs by 65% on average with a maximum enhancement of 88.6% observed over the course of a single day. The series connection within the LSC modules demonstrated enhanced scalability and potential for practical application in solar energy systems. This innovative module configuration provides valuable insights into the advancement of luminescent solar concentrators through plasmonic enhancement, contributing to the broader goal of optimising solar energy harvesting.

Monte Carlo Ray-Tracing Simulation of a Cassegrain Solar Concentrator Module for CPV

The concentration ratio is one of the most important characteristics in designing a Cassegrain solar concentrator since it directly affects the performance of high-density solar energy applications such as concentrated photovoltaics (CPVs). In this study, solar concentrator modules that have different configurations were proposed and their performances were compared by means of a Monte Carlo ray-tracing algorithm to identify the optimal configurations. The first solar concentrator design includes a primary parabolic concentrator, a parabolic secondary reflector, and a homogenizer. The second design, on the other hand, includes a parabolic primary concentrator, a secondary hyperbolic concentrator, and a homogenizer. Two different reflectance were applied to find the ideal concentration ratio and the actual concentration ratio. In addition, uniform rays and solar rays also were compared to estimate their efficiency. Results revealed that both modules show identical concentration ratios of 610 when the tracking error is not considered. However, the concentration ratio of the first design rapidly drops when the sun tracking error overshoots even 0.1°, whereas the concentration ratio of the second design remained constant within the range of the 0.8° tracking error. It was concluded that a paraboloidal reflector is not appropriate for the second mirror in a Cassegrain concentrator due to its low acceptance angle. The maximum collection efficiency was achieved when the f-number is smaller and the rim angle is bigger and when the secondary reflector is in a hyperboloid shape. The target area has to be rather bigger with a shorter focal length for the secondary reflector to obtain a wider acceptance angle.

Solar Concentrator Modules for Residential Power Supply

Currently, in many areas with a centralized energy supply, there is much concern about energy performance of buildings, and therefore, there is a growing interest in the use of integrated solar concentrator modules (SCMs), which reduce the need for centralized electricity and heat supply. Of greater interest are nontracking SCMs, since their relatively large angular aperture allows operation without solar tracking. The objective of this study is to improve SCM efficiency and reduce the cost of electricity and heat generation. The SCM mathematical model is implemented in the OptiCad software. SCMs have been developed with low cosine losses, long service life, and low cost. The developed SCM design makes it possible to reduce cosine losses in comparison with a solar module without a concentrator by 3–15 times and increase the duration of SCM operation in a stationary mode by 6–9 months per year. The cost of the concentrator and the receiver developed using SCMs is 50% of the module cost, respectively. The cost of the developed SCMs in comparison with flat ones from China will be decreased by 1.64 times. The developed SCMs can be used for residential power supply in a stationary design for roofs and facades and with tracking systems for ground installation.

Developing a static solar concentrator module with free-form mirror design for indoor illumination

The use of a solar concentrator for indoor illumination has been investigated in this study. Two solar concentrator modules, with one using plane mirrors and the other employing a free-form mirror design, were designed, developed, and tested. A modular structure was proposed for ease of installation. In both modules, mirrors are used to reflect the collected sunlight to its destination. Simulation results show that the free-form mirror design has better day-lighting system performance than the plane mirror version at three targeted times of the day. The resulting reflection efficiency of the solar concentrator module which uses the free-form mirror design was 40.64%, 39.18%, and 52.38% at 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 13:00 PM, respectively.

Development and performance analysis of a two-axis solar tracker for concentrated photovoltaics

Summary This study presents a two-axis solar tracking system equipped with a small concentrator module for electricity generation through a multijunction solar cell. The system can accurately track the sun without the need of calibration for an extended period and operate as a stand-alone system. High-precision solar tracking was achieved by a combination of open-loop and closed-loop controls. A camera tracking sensor was introduced as a feedback device in closed-loop control. Two different types of solar concentrator modules were designed and fabricated. Their concentration ratios were analyzed against solar tracking errors by means of ray tracing software. One is made up of a paraboloidal primary concentrator and a paraboloidal secondary reflector, whereas the other has a paraboloidal primary concentrator and a hyperboloidal secondary reflector. Both modules showed an almost identical concentration ratio of 610 provided that the solar tracker is pointing perfectly at the sun. However, their performance differs considerably when tracking error is present. The maximum power output was obtained near solar noon with multijunction cells, whose average solar conversion efficiency was 21%, much higher than that of conventional photovoltaic systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Solar concentrator modules with silicone-on-glass Fresnel lens panels and multijunction cells

High-efficiency multijunction (MJ) solar cells, being very expensive to manufacture, should only be used in combination with solar concentrators in terrestrial applications. An essential cost reduction of electric power produced by photovoltaic (PV) installations with MJ cells, may be expected by the creation of highly-effective, but inexpensive, elements for optical concentration and sun tracking. This article is an overview of the corresponding approach under development at the Ioffe Physical Technical Institute. The approach to R&D of the solar PV modules is based on the concepts of sunlight concentration by small-aperture area Fresnel lenses and "all-glass" module design. The small-aperture area lenses are arranged as a panel with silicone-on-glass structure where the glass plate serves as the front surface of a module. In turn, high-efficiency InGaP/(In)GaAs/Ge cells are arranged on a rear module panel mounted on a glass plate which functions as a heat sink and integrated protective cover for the cells. The developed PV modules and sun trackers are characterized by simple design, and are regarded as the prototypes for further commercialization.

Parameter optimization of solar modules based on lens concentrators of radiation and cascade photovoltaic converters

Two main issues governing the design of a solar concentrator module with triple-junction nano-heterostructure photovoltaic converters (PVCs) are considered: the effective concentration of radiation using Fresnel lenses and effective heat removal from PVCs. By theoretically and experimentally simulating these processes, the design parameters of module’ s elements are determined. A test batch of full-size modules has been fabricated. Each module consists of a front panel of small-size Fresnel lenses (a total of 144 lenses arranged as a 12 × 12 array) and the corresponding number of multilayer InGaP/GaAs/Ge PVCs. The PVCs are mounted on heat-distributing plates and are also integrated into a panel. The efficiency of the concentrator module with a 0.5 × 0.5-m entrance aperture measured under outdoor conditions is 24.3%, which is more than twice as high as the efficiency of standard (concentrator-free) silicon modules. In smaller test modules, the efficiency corrected for the PVC standard temperature (25° C) reaches 26.5%.