Equipment Loan for Concentrated PV Cavity Converter (PVCC) Research: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-08-285
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Interest in High Concentration Photovoltaics (HCPV) for terrestrial applications has significantly grown in recent years. A major driver behind this growth trend is the availability of high efficiency multi-junction (MJ) cells that promise reliable operation under high concentrations (500 to 1000 suns). The primary impact of HCPV on the solar electricity cost is the dramatic reduction in cell cost. For terrestrial HCPV systems, operating at concentrations ≥ 500 suns, the expensive MJ cells are marginally affordable. Most recently, triple-junction test cells have achieved a conversion efficiency of over 40% under concentrated sunlight. Photovoltaic Cavity Converter (PVCC) is a multi-bandgap, high concentration PV device developed by United Innovations, Inc., under subcontract to NREL. The lateral- (2- dimensional) structure of PVCC, as opposed to vertical multi-junction (MJ) structure, helps to circumvent most of the developmental challenges MJ technology has yet to overcome. This CRADA will allow the continued development of this technology by United Innovations. This project was funded by the California Energy Commission and is the second phase of a twopart demonstration program. The key advantage of the design was the use of a PVCC as the receiver. PVCCs efficiently process highly concentrated solar radiation into electricity by recycling photons that are reflected from the surface of the cells. Conventional flat, twodimensional receivers cannot recycle photons and the reflected photons are lost to the conversion process.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 1215365
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/TP-5500-64771
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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