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Indoor Experimental Assessment of the Efficiency and Irradiance Spot of the Achromatic Doublet on Glass (ADG) Fresnel Lens for Concentrating Photovoltaics

We present a method to characterize achromatic Fresnel lenses for photovoltaic applications. The achromatic doublet on glass (ADG) Fresnel lens is ...

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

A solar simulator for measuring performance of large area concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules is presented. Its illumination system is based on a Xenon flash light and a large area collimator mirror, which simulates natural sun light. Quality requirements imposed by the CPV systems have been characterized: irradiance level and uniformity at the receiver, light collimation and spectral distribution. The simulator allows indoor fast and cost-effective performance characterization and classification of CPV systems at the production line as well as module rating carried out by laboratories.

Solar simulator for concentrator photovoltaic systems.

Two important aspects must be considered when optimizing antireflection coatings (ARCs) for multijunction solar cells to be used in concentrators: the angular light distribution over the cell created by the particular concentration system and the wide spectral bandwidth the solar cell is sensitive to. In this article, a numerical optimization procedure and its results are presented. The potential efficiency enhancement by means of ARC optimization is calculated for several concentrating PV systems. In addition, two methods for ARCs direct characterization are presented. The results of these show that real ARCs slightly underperform theoretical predictions.

Antireflective coatings for multijunction solar cells under wide-angle ray bundles.

Hybrid Lighting-CPV concept mixes illumination using low-cost fiber optics for light transmission with conventional Concentrating Photovoltaic (CPV) technology. This approach may offer an important increase in the value of a CPV system. Direct illumination from sunlight with fibers does not require the double light-electricity-light energy conversion allowing for efficient lighting using just a small area of the CPV system, preferably those areas with lower CPV efficiency conversion. Simultaneously the need of concentration and tracking required is completely covered by the infrastructure of the CPV system. In this work, we present a theoretical study of the losses in optical fibers in order to establish the design criteria for the hybrid system. Losses caused by chromatic aberration increase with f-number while transmission losses in the fiber decrease.

Hybrid lighting-CPV, a new efficient concept mixing illumination with CPV.

This paper presents a novel Fresnel lens capable of significantly reducing chromatic aberration in solar applications. The optical performance of this achromatic lens has been analyzed through ray-tracing simulations, showing a concentration factor three times higher than that attained by a classic silicone on glass (SOG) Fresnel lens while maintaining the same acceptance angle. This should avoid the need for a secondary optical element, reducing the cost associated with its manufacturing and assembly and increasing the module reliability. The achromatic lens is made of inexpensive plastic and elastomer which allows a highly scalable and cost-competitive manufacturing process similar to the one currently used for the fabrication of SOG Fresnel lenses.

Gabriel Sala

Instituto de Energía Solar

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Indoor Experimental Assessment of the Efficiency and Irradiance Spot of the Achromatic Doublet on Glass (ADG) Fresnel Lens for Concentrating Photovoltaics

Gabriel Sala

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Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Indoor Experimental Assessment of the Efficiency and Irradiance Spot of the Achromatic Doublet on Glass (ADG) Fresnel Lens for Concentrating Photovoltaics

Instituto de Energía Solar