A summary of recent advances in the EPRI high-concentration photovoltaic program
- Daedalus Associates, Inc., Mountain View, CA (United States)
During the 1970s and early 1980s a promising solar cell technology evolved in the laboratory at Stanford University under contract with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The work produced a point-contact photovoltaic cell that has established a number of world record achievements. In 1984 a conceptual design was proposed for a cell package, module, and array system for use in utility-scale commercial power production. Since 1984, EPRI has moved the laboratory concept forward toward commercial application. The design and processing of the cell has progressed from laboratory device research toward a mass-produced commodity, with concurrent reduction in cost and improvement in uniformity. A number of inadequacies have been confronted and eliminated. A progressive design philosophy for the production of cell packages, modules and arrays has been invoked and executed. An extensive test program to determine module and array performance and reliability has been put in place. More than 1500 high concentration cells have been produced in the evolutionary process. Approximately 700 of those cells have been or are presently being installed in fully operational modules for field tests. Over 130 modules have been constructed and are in field testing for electrical, thermal or weathering tests. Two-full sized array structures (each containing 60 instrumented ``thermal`` modules) have been constructed and continue to undergo field testing for alignment, performance, and reliability. The purpose of this summary document is to provide an overview of the activities that have occurred since the issue of the early conceptual design study. This summary has a companion two-volume report, Recent Advances in The EPRI High-Concentration Photovoltaic Program (1), that provides considerable detail about the advances that are summarized in this volume.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Daedalus Associates, Inc., Mountain View, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 10134338
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR-100392; ON: UN92011208
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Mar 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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