Title: Concentrator photovoltaic module architectures with capabilities for capture and conversion of full global solar radiation

Abstract

Emerging classes ofconcentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules reach efficiencies that are far greater than those of even the highest performance flat-plate PV technologies, with architectures that have the potential to provide the lowest cost of energy in locations with high direct normal irradiance (DNI). A disadvantage is their inability to effectively use diffuse sunlight, thereby constraining widespread geographic deployment and limiting performance even under the most favorable DNI conditions. This study introduces a module design that integrates capabilities in flat-plate PV directly with the most sophisticated CPV technologies, for capture of both direct and diffuse sunlight, thereby achieving efficiency in PV conversion of the global solar radiation. Specific examples of this scheme exploit commodity silicon (Si) cells integrated with two different CPV module designs, where they capture light that is not efficiently directed by the concentrator optics onto large-scale arrays of miniature multijunction (MJ) solar cells that use advanced III-V semiconductor technologies. In this CPV⁺ scheme ("+" denotes the addition of diffuse collector), the Si and MJ cells operate independently on indirect and direct solar radiation, respectively. On-sun experimental studies of CPV⁺ modules at latitudes of 35.9886° N (Durham, NC), 40.1125° N (Bondville, IL), and 38.9072° N (Washington, DC) show improvementsmore » in absolute module efficiencies of between 1.02% and 8.45% over values obtained using otherwise similar CPV modules, depending on weather conditions. These concepts have the potential to expand the geographic reach and improve the cost-effectiveness of the highest efficiency forms of PV power generation.« less

Authors:

Lee, Kyu-Tae ^[1]; Yao, Yuan ^[2]; He, Junwen ^[2]; Fisher, Brent ^[3]; Sheng, Xing ^[4]; Lumb, Matthew ^[5]; Xu, Lu ^[2]; Anderson, Mikayla A. ^[2]; Scheiman, David ^[6]; Han, Seungyong ^[1]; Kang, Yongseon ^[1]; Gumus, Abdurrahman ^[7]; Bahabry, Rabab R. ^[7]; Lee, Jung Woo ^[8]; Paik, Ungyu ^[9]; Bronstein, Noah D. ^[10]; Alivisatos, A. Paul ^[11]; Meitl, Matthew ^[3]; Burroughs, Scott ^[3]; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa ^[7] more »; Lee, Jeong Chul ^[1]; Nuzzo, Ralph G. ^[12]; Rogers, John A. ^[12] « less

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801,, Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801,
2. Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801,
3. Semprius, Durham, NC 27713,
4. Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China 100084,
5. The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037,, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375,
6. US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375,
7. Integrated Nanotechnology Lab, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia,
8. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801,, Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801,, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea,, Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea,
9. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea,, Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea,
10. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,
11. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720,, Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
12. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801,, Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801,, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801,

Publication Date:

Mon Dec 05 00:00:00 EST 2016

Research Org.:

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Light-Material Interactions in Energy Conversion (LMI)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)

OSTI Identifier:

1334550

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1379620

Grant/Contract Number:  

SC0001293; AR0000624; AC02-05CH11231

Resource Type:

Published Article

Journal Name:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Volume: 113 Journal Issue: 51; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424

Publisher:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

14 SOLAR ENERGY; photovoltaics; multijunction solar cells; concentration optics; diffuse light capture