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Title: Low-Cost High-Concentration Photovoltaic Systems for Utility Power Generation

Abstract

Under DOE's Technology Pathway Partnership (TPP) program, Amonix, Inc. developed a new generation of high-concentration photovoltaic systems using multijunction technology and established the manufacturing capacity needed to supply multi-megawatt power plants buing using the new Amonix 7700-series solar energy systems. For this effort, Amonix Collaborated with a variety of suppliers and partners to complete project tasks. Subcontractors included: Evonik/Cyro; Hitek; the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); Raytech; Spectrolab; UL; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and TUV Rheinland PTL. The Amonix TPP tasks included: Task 1: Multijunction Cell Optimization for Field Operation, Task 2: Fresnel Lens R&D, Task 3: Cell Package Design & Production, Task 4: Standards Compliance and Reliability Testing, Task 5: Receiver Plate Production, Task 6: MegaModule Performance, Task 7: MegaModule Cost Reduction, Task 8: Factory Setup and MegaModule Production, Task 9: Tracker and Tracking Controller, Task 10: Installation and Balance of System (BOS), Task 11: Field Testing, and Task 12: Solar Advisor Modeling and Market Analysis. Amonix's TPP addressed nearly the complete PV value chain from epitaxial layer design and wafer processing through system design, manufacturing, deployment and O&M. Amonix has made progress toward achieving these reduced costs through the development of its 28%+ efficient MegaModule, reduced manufacturingmore » and installation cost through design for manufacturing and assembly, automated manufacturing processes, and reduced O&M costs. Program highlights include: (1) Optimized multijunction cell and cell package design to improve performance by > 10%; (2) Updated lens design provided 7% increased performance and higher concentration; (3) 28.7% DC STC MegaModule efficiency achieved in Phase II exceeded Phase III performance goal; (4) New 16' focal length MegaModule achieved target materials and manufacturing cost reduction; (5) Designed and placed into production 25 MW/yr manufacturing capacity for complete MegaModules, including cell packages, receiver plates, and structures with lenses; (6) Designed and deployed Amonix 7700 series systems rated at 63 kW PTC ac and higher. Based on an LCOE assessment using NREL's Solar Advisor Model, Amonix met DOE's LCOE targets: Amonix 2011 LCOE 12.8 cents/kWh (2010 DOE goal 10-15); 2015 LCOE 6.4 cents/kWh (2015 goal 5-7) Amonix and TPP participants would like to thank the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technology Program for funding received under this program through Agreement No. DE-FC36-07GO17042.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Amonix, Inc.
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; USDOE EE Office of Solar Energy Technology (EE-2A)
OSTI Identifier:
1040623
Report Number(s):
DOEGO17042
TRN: US201215%%627
DOE Contract Number:  
FC36-07GO17042
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; COMPLIANCE; DESIGN; EFFICIENCY; FRESNEL LENS; LENSES; MANUFACTURING; MARKET; NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY; OPTIMIZATION; PERFORMANCE; POWER GENERATION; POWER PLANTS; PROCESSING; PRODUCTION; RELIABILITY; SOLAR ENERGY; TARGETS; TESTING; Photovoltaic, Concentration, Utility, Multijunction, Lens, Tracker,

Citation Formats

McConnell, R, Garboushian, V, Gordon, R, Dutra, D, Kinsey, G, Geer, S, Gomez, H, and Cameron, C. Low-Cost High-Concentration Photovoltaic Systems for Utility Power Generation. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.2172/1040623.
McConnell, R, Garboushian, V, Gordon, R, Dutra, D, Kinsey, G, Geer, S, Gomez, H, & Cameron, C. Low-Cost High-Concentration Photovoltaic Systems for Utility Power Generation. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1040623
McConnell, R, Garboushian, V, Gordon, R, Dutra, D, Kinsey, G, Geer, S, Gomez, H, and Cameron, C. 2012. "Low-Cost High-Concentration Photovoltaic Systems for Utility Power Generation". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1040623. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1040623.
@article{osti_1040623,
title = {Low-Cost High-Concentration Photovoltaic Systems for Utility Power Generation},
author = {McConnell, R and Garboushian, V and Gordon, R and Dutra, D and Kinsey, G and Geer, S and Gomez, H and Cameron, C},
abstractNote = {Under DOE's Technology Pathway Partnership (TPP) program, Amonix, Inc. developed a new generation of high-concentration photovoltaic systems using multijunction technology and established the manufacturing capacity needed to supply multi-megawatt power plants buing using the new Amonix 7700-series solar energy systems. For this effort, Amonix Collaborated with a variety of suppliers and partners to complete project tasks. Subcontractors included: Evonik/Cyro; Hitek; the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); Raytech; Spectrolab; UL; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and TUV Rheinland PTL. The Amonix TPP tasks included: Task 1: Multijunction Cell Optimization for Field Operation, Task 2: Fresnel Lens R&D, Task 3: Cell Package Design & Production, Task 4: Standards Compliance and Reliability Testing, Task 5: Receiver Plate Production, Task 6: MegaModule Performance, Task 7: MegaModule Cost Reduction, Task 8: Factory Setup and MegaModule Production, Task 9: Tracker and Tracking Controller, Task 10: Installation and Balance of System (BOS), Task 11: Field Testing, and Task 12: Solar Advisor Modeling and Market Analysis. Amonix's TPP addressed nearly the complete PV value chain from epitaxial layer design and wafer processing through system design, manufacturing, deployment and O&M. Amonix has made progress toward achieving these reduced costs through the development of its 28%+ efficient MegaModule, reduced manufacturing and installation cost through design for manufacturing and assembly, automated manufacturing processes, and reduced O&M costs. Program highlights include: (1) Optimized multijunction cell and cell package design to improve performance by > 10%; (2) Updated lens design provided 7% increased performance and higher concentration; (3) 28.7% DC STC MegaModule efficiency achieved in Phase II exceeded Phase III performance goal; (4) New 16' focal length MegaModule achieved target materials and manufacturing cost reduction; (5) Designed and placed into production 25 MW/yr manufacturing capacity for complete MegaModules, including cell packages, receiver plates, and structures with lenses; (6) Designed and deployed Amonix 7700 series systems rated at 63 kW PTC ac and higher. Based on an LCOE assessment using NREL's Solar Advisor Model, Amonix met DOE's LCOE targets: Amonix 2011 LCOE 12.8 cents/kWh (2010 DOE goal 10-15); 2015 LCOE 6.4 cents/kWh (2015 goal 5-7) Amonix and TPP participants would like to thank the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technology Program for funding received under this program through Agreement No. DE-FC36-07GO17042.},
doi = {10.2172/1040623},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1040623}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Mar 31 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Sat Mar 31 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}