Title: An end of service life assessment of PMMA lenses from veteran concentrator photovoltaic systems

Abstract

The optical performance of poly(methyl methacrylate) lenses from veteran concentrator photovoltaic modules was examined after the end of their service life. Lenses from the Martin-Marietta and Intersol module designs were examined from the 'Solar Village' site near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as well as the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, followed by the Arizona Public Service Solar Test and Research (APS-STaR) center in Tempe, Arizona. The various lens specimens were deployed for 20, 27, and 22 years, respectively. Optical characterizations included lens efficiency (Solar Simulator instrument), material transmittance and haze (of coupons cut from veteran lenses, then measured again after their faceted back surface was polished, and then measured again after the incident front surface was polished), and direct transmittance (as a function of detector's acceptance angle, using the Very Low Angular Beam Spread ('VLABS') instrument). Lens efficiency measurements compared the central region to the entire lens, also using hot and cold mirror measurements to diagnose differences in performance. A series of subsequent characterizations was performed because a decrease in performance of greater than 10% was observed for some of the veteran lenses. The optimal focal distance of the lenses was quantified using the Solar Simulator, and then correlated to lens curvaturemore » using a recently developed measurement technique. Surface roughness was examined using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Facet geometry (tip and valley radius) was quantified on cross-sectioned specimens. As a result, molecular weight was compared between the incident and faceted surfaces of the lenses.« less

Authors:

Miller, David C. ^[1]; Khonkar, Hussameldin I. ^[2]; Herrero, Rebeca ^[3]; Antón, Ignacio ^[3]; Johnson, David K. ^[1]; Hornung, Thorsten ^[4]; Schmid-Schirling, Tobias ^[4]; Vinzant, Todd B. ^[1]; Deutch, Steve ^[1]; To, Bobby ^[1]; Sala, Gabriel ^[3]; Kurtz, Sarah R. ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
2. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
3. Instituto de Energia Solar - Univ. Politecnica de Madrid (IES-UPM), Madrid (Spain)
4. Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE), Freiburg (Germany)

Publication Date:

Tue Apr 04 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:

1353006

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1396909

Report Number(s):

NREL/JA-5J00-67732
Journal ID: ISSN 0927-0248

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC36-08GO28308; S2013/MAE2780

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 167; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0927-0248

Publisher:

Elsevier

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

14 SOLAR ENERGY; 47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; AFM; CPV durability; Fresnel lens; PMMA; SEM; reliability