skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Infrared transmissive concentrated photovoltaics for coupling solar electric energy conversion to solar thermal energy utilization

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1840449
; ; ; ;

The use of photovoltaic (PV) cells to convert solar energy to electricity is becoming increasingly prevalent; however, there are still significant limitations associated with the widespread adoption of PV cells for electricity needs. There is a clear need for a high efficiency solar power system that supplies electricity at a competitive cost and that provides for an on-demand supply of electricity as well as energy storage. By combining aspects of concentrated solar power and concentrated photovoltaics, the present invention provides a device that enables the conversion of sunlight to electricity at very high efficiencies and that enables the transmission of thermal energy to heat storage devices for later use. The disclosed device enables transmissive CPV through the use of a multijunction PV cell mounted on a transparent base. The use of a multijunction cell allows for highly efficient absorption of light above the bandgap of the lowest bandgap subcell. The transparent base permits transmission of a high percentage of the remaining light below the bandgap of the lowest bandgap subcell. The present invention also discloses a method of generating electricity through the use of a transmissive CPV device. Sunlight is concentrated onto one or more surfaces of the device. High energy light is absorbed by a multijunction PV cell and converted directly to electricity, while low energy light is transmitted through the device into a thermal storage device, which may then be coupled to a heat engine to generate dispatchable electricity.

Research Organization:
Tulane Univ., New Orleans, LA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AR0000473
Assignee:
The Administrators of the tulane Educational Fund (New Orleans, LA)
Patent Number(s):
11,121,278
Application Number:
15/322,417
OSTI ID:
1840449
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 06/29/2015
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (33)

Concentrating type solar collection and daylighting system within glazed building envelopes patent June 2010
High Efficiency and Low Cost GaInP/GaAs/Si Triple Junction by Epitaxy Lift-off and Mechanical Stack patent-application January 2013
Contact Layout and String Interconnection of Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cells patent-application September 2010
Hybrid Solar Energy Collector, and Solar Power Plant Including at Least One Such Collector patent-application July 2012
Membrane Heat Exchanger System and Method patent-application November 2016
Method and Apparatus for Integrating an Infrared (IR) Photovoltaic Cell on a Thin Film Photovoltaic Cell patent-application March 2014
Photovoltaic module mounting unit and system patent-application July 2005
Low bandgap, monolithic, multi-bandgap, optoelectronic devices patent-application July 2006
Solar augmentation system patent-application December 2008
Optoelectronic Device Assembly patent-application June 2009
Absorber for a Thermal Solar Collector and Method for the Production of Such an Absorber patent-application November 2010
Parallel Interconnection of Neighboring Space-Qualified Sola Cells Via a Common Back Plane patent-application May 2018
Compound Collector System For Solar Energy Concentration patent-application June 2012
High performance, high bandgap, lattice-mismatched, GaInP solar cells patent July 2014
Multijunction photovoltaic cells and panels using a silicon or silicon-germanium active substrate cell for space and terrestrial applications patent January 2002
String Interconnection of Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cells on Flexible Perforated Carriers patent-application July 2010
Solar Power Conversion System and Methods of Use patent-application September 2010
Thin solar concentrator patent-application June 2008
Photovoltaic Module patent-application March 2014
Stand-Alone Solar Power Charger Directly Coupling to Portable Electronic Devices patent-application September 2014
Solar Cell Module patent-application December 2011
Bifacial Multijunction Solar Cell patent-application March 2010
Solar Cell and Method for Manufacturing Same patent-application March 2015
Utility-friendly Hybrid Energy Conversion System for Apportioning Concentrated Solar Radiation in Real Time Upon Selective Demand Between a Plurality of Solar Energy Conversion Devices, Including a Photovoltaic Receiver patent-application December 2015
Solar Power Generating Apparatus patent-application November 2012
Space-Qualified Solar Cell Module with Interconnection of Neighboring Solar Cells on a Common Back Plane patent-application April 2018
Solae Energy Systems patent-application February 2012
Method of producing a thin-film solar cell patent December 1993
Efficient solar energy concentrator with improved thermal management patent-application December 2012
Optoelectronic Device with Non-Continuous Back Contacts patent-application October 2013
Transparent Photovoltaic Cells patent-application July 2012
Isoelectronic co-doping patent-application August 2002
Heat Exchanger Apparatus and Methods of Manufacturing Cross Reference patent-application January 2012

Similar Records

Related Subjects