Numerical and experimental research of the characteristics of concentration solar cells

The development of automatic tracking solar concentrator photovoltaic systems is currently attracting growing interest. High concentration photovoltaic systems (HCPVs) combining triple-junction InGaP/lnGaAs/Ge solar cells with a concentrator provide high conversion efficiencies. The mathematical model for triple-junction solar cells, having a higher efficiency and superior temperature characteristics, was established based on the one-diode equivalent circuit cell model. A paraboloidal concentrator with a secondary optic system and a concentration ratio in the range of 100X–150X along with a sun tracking system was developed in this study. The GaInP/GalnAs/Ge triple-junction solar cell, produced by AZUR SPACE Solar Power, was also used in this study. The solar cells produced by Shanghai Solar Youth Energy (SY) and Shenzhen Yinshengsheng Technology Co. Ltd. (YXS) were used as comparison samples in a further comparative study at different concentration ratios (200X–1000X). A detailed analysis on the factors that influence the electrical output characteristics of the InGaP/lnGaAs/Ge solar cell was conducted with a dish-style concentrating photovoltaic system. The results show that the short-circuit current (I_sc) and the open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of multi-junction solar cells increases with the increasing concentration ratio, while the cell efficiency (η_c) of the solar cells increases first and then decreases with increasing concentration ratio. With increasing solar cell temperature, I_sc increases, while V_oc and η_c decrease. A comparison of the experimental and simulation results indicate that the maximum root mean square error is less than 10%, which provides a certain theoretical basis for the study of the characteristics of triple-junction solar cell that can be applied in the analysis and discussion regarding the influence of the relevant parameters on the performance of high concentration photovoltaic systems.     

Design and simulation of a low concentrating photovoltaic/thermal system

The advantages of photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collectors and low solar concentration technologies are combined into a photovoltaic/thermal system to increase the solar energy conversion efficiency. This paper presents a prototype 11X concentration rate and two axis tracking system. The main novelty is the coupling of a linear Fresnel concentrator with a channel photovoltaic/thermal collector. An analytical model to simulate the thermal behaviour of the prototype is proposed and validated. Measured thermal performance of the solar system gives values above 60%. Theoretical analysis confirms that thermal conduction between the PV cells and the absorber plate is a critical parameter.     

Assessing the potential of concentrating solar photovoltaic generation in Brazil with satellite-derived direct normal irradiation

With the declining costs of flat plate and concentrating photovoltaic (PV) systems, solar PV generation in many sunny regions in Brazil will eventually become cost competitive with conventional and centralized power generation. Detailed knowledge of the local solar radiation resource becomes critical in assisting on the choice of the technology most suited for large-scale solar electricity generation. When assessing the energy generation potential of non-concentrating, fixed flat plate versus concentrating PV, sites with high levels of direct normal irradiation (DNI) can result in cost-competitive electricity generation with the use of high concentrating photovoltaic systems (HCPV). In large countries, where the transmission and distribution infrastructure costs and associated losses typical of centralized generation must be taken into account, the distributed nature of solar radiation should be perceived as a valuable asset. In this work we assess the potential of HCPV energy generation using satellite-derived DNI data for Brazil, a large and sunny country with a continental surface of 8.5 million km². The methodology used in the study involved the analysis of global horizontal, latitude-tilt, and direct normal solar irradiation data resulting from the Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) Project, and an estimate of the resulting electricity production potential, based on a review of HCPV generators operating at other sites. The satellite-derived solar irradiation data, with 10 km × 10 km spatial resolution, were analysed over the whole country, in order to identify the regions where HCPV might present a considerable advantage over fixed plate PV on an annual energy generation basis. Our results show that there is a considerable fraction of the national territory where the direct normal solar irradiation resource is up to 20% higher than the latitude-tilt irradiation availability. Furthermore, these sites are located in the most industrially-developed region of the country, and indicate that with the declining costs of this technology, distributed multi-megawatt HCPV can be a good choice of technology for solar energy generation at these sites in the near future.     

A simple method for quantifying spectral impacts on multi-junction solar cells

A method to quantify spectral effects on the electric parameters of multi-junction solar cells is presented. The method is based on measuring the short circuit current of at least two monitor cells. Ideally these monitor cells have the same spectral responses as the subcells in the investigated multi-junction solar cell. In contrast to the subcells, the current of the individual monitor cells can be measured separately. This allows conclusions to be drawn about the spectral impact on the current mismatch of the multi-junction solar cell. A spectrometric evaluation method is then applied.The method has been tested experimentally with three concentrator modules using III-V triple-junction solar cells. These modules were measured outdoors for several months under variable solar spectral conditions. In parallel, the IV curves of the modules and the current of two component cells were measured. A spectral parameter Z was derived from the monitor cell current signals, which was correlated to the short circuit current and the fill factor of the modules. A linear correlation was found between Z and the normalized short circuit current of the concentrator modules. Translation equations were derived from the linear correlation. These enable the calculation of a module’s short circuit current under any spectral conditions. In particular, the short circuit currents of the modules were derived for direct normal irradiance of 850 W/m² and spectral conditions corresponding to the AM1.5d low AOD spectrum. This is an important step towards comparing the performance of modules which show strong spectral sensitivity. Future rating methods can benefit from the presented simple method for quantifying spectral impacts on multi-junction solar cells. Furthermore, the method can be of interest for tuning the spectrum of pulsed solar simulators.     

Enhanced heat dissipation of V-trough PV modules for better performance

A concentrator photovoltaic (PV) module, in which solar cells are integrated in V-troughs, is designed for better heat dissipation. All channels in the V-trough channels are made using thin single Al metal sheet to achieve better heat dissipation from the cells under concentration. Six PV module strips each containing single row of 6 mono-crystalline Si cells are fabricated and mounted in 6 V-trough channels to get concentrator V-trough PV module of 36 cells with maximum power point under standard test condition (STC) of 44.5 W. The V-trough walls are used for light concentration as well as heat dissipation from the cells which provides 4 times higher heat dissipation area than the case when V-trough walls are not used for cooling. The cell temperature in the V-trough module remains nearly same as that in a flat plate PV module, despite light concentration. The controlled temperature and increased current density in concentrator V-trough cells results in higher V_oc of the module.     

Long-term monitoring of photovoltaic devices

For photovoltaic (PV) devices to operate successfully over an expected lifespan of 30 years, much research is needed in all aspects of these devices. This study is concerned with the monitoring of the performance and degradation of PV devices over extended periods as well as the effect of meteorological conditions on device performance. The PV devices used in this study comprise different cell technologies and designs. The performance of conventional flat plate modules was monitored over a 15-month period and that of a PV concentrator array over a 13-month period. The results of this performance monitoring are presented in this paper. Degradation mechanisms of PV devices are also discussed. This study showed that, as expected, the power ratings of PV devices do not usually give an accurate indication of their performance outdoors. Results obtained also showed that meteorological conditions could cause an 18% reduction of a module's potential power. A degradation monitoring procedure revealed potential degradation mechanisms, such as mismatched cells, hot spot formation and low cell shunt resistances on some modules. A comparative study on the PV concentrator modules showed that the concentrator modules produced much less energy than their rated energy when operating outdoors. The energy performance of a tracked flat plate module vastly exceeded the concentrator modules' performance.     

Luminescent spectral splitting: Efficient spatial division of solar spectrum at low concentration

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential performance of a novel concept for dividing solar radiation into spectral components that separately illuminate photovoltaic (PV) cells of different band gaps using an optical design that (1) is simple, easily manufactured, and extensible to many spectral channels and (2) does not achieve high geometric concentration factors. The concept that we explore leverages the approach of stacked luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) for dividing the solar spectrum using fluorophores that are tuned to different spectral bands. However, whereas multicolor LSCs must perform two functions using the same optical component—spectral division and concentration—we consider the performance of a similar design when only one demand—spectral division—is placed on it. We find that the optical quantum and power efficiencies can be quite high (QE>90%, PE>80%) compared to what one might intuitively expect. When we couple the light output to a simple detailed balance model of a solar cell using experimental performance parameters we find that solar-to-electric conversion could exceed 30% with four junctions, using existing PV materials. While this does not exceed what can be achieved by HCPV designs on multijunction epitaxially grown stacks, the concept presented here has the major advantage of being easily extensible to an arbitrarily large number of spectral channels. Because of this extensibility, the number of junctions in the system is limited only by the availability of PV cells with appropriate band gaps, so significantly higher system efficiencies should be accessible without major revision to the basic design presented here.     

Integrating photovoltaic and power converter characteristics for energy extraction study of solar PV systems

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy is becoming an increasingly important part of the world’s renewable energy. A grid-connected solar PV system consists of solar cells for energy extraction from the sun and power converters for grid interface. In order for effective integration of the solar PV systems with the electric power grid, this paper presents solar PV energy extraction and conversion study by combining the two characteristics together to examine various factors that may affect the design of solar PV systems. The energy extraction characteristics of solar PV cells are examined by considering several practical issues such as series and parallel connections, change of temperatures and irradiance levels, shading of sunlight, and bypassing and blocking diodes. The electrical characteristics of power converters are studied by considering physical system constraints such as rated current and converter linear modulation limits. Then, the two characteristics are analyzed in a joint environment. An open-loop transient simulation using SimPowerSystem is developed to validate the effectiveness of the characteristic study and to further inspect the solar PV system behavior in a transient environment. Extensive simulation study is conducted to investigate performance of solar PV arrays under different conditions.     

Non-concentrating and asymmetric compound parabolic concentrating building façade integrated photovoltaics: An experimental comparison

Concentration of solar energy increases the illuminated flux on the photovoltaic (PV) surface thus less PV material is required. A novel asymmetric compound parabolic photovoltaic concentrator has been characterised experimentally with a similar non-concentrating system. Different numbers of PV strings connected within the system have been analysed and a power ratio of 1.62 measured compared to a similar non-concentrating PV panel with the same cell area. The solar to electrical conversion efficiency of 8.6% and 6.8% was achieved for the non-concentrating panel the concentrating system, respectively. The measured average solar cell temperature of the PV in the concentrator system was only 12 °C higher than that of the similar non-concentrating system with same cell area.     

An analytical-numerical approach for parameter determination of a five-parameter single-diode model of photovoltaic cells and modules

Parameter extraction of the five-parameter single-diode model of solar cells and modules from experimental data is a challenging problem. These parameters are evaluated from a set of nonlinear equations that cannot be solved analytically. On the other hand, a numerical solution of such equations needs a suitable initial guess to converge to a solution. This paper presents a new set of approximate analytical solutions for the parameters of a five-parameter single-diode model of photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules. The proposed solutions provide a good initial point which guarantees numerical analysis convergence. The proposed technique needs only a few data from the PV current-voltage characteristics, i.e. open circuit voltage V_oc, short circuit current I_sc and maximum power point current and voltage I_m; V_m making it a fast and low cost parameter determination technique. The accuracy of the presented theoretical I–V curves is verified by experimental data.     

Analysis and modelling the reverse characteristic of photovoltaic cells

Models to represent the behaviour of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells in reverse bias are reviewed, concluding with the proposal of a new model. This model comes from the study of avalanche mechanisms in PV solar cells, and counts on physically meaningful parameters. It can be adapted to PV cells in which reverse characteristic is dominated by avalanche mechanisms, and also to those dominated by shunt resistance or with breakdown voltages far from a safe measurement range. A procedure to calculate model parameters based in piece-wise fitting is also proposed. The model has been applied to isolated crystalline solar cells measured at different conditions, and also to cells encapsulated in a conventional PV module. Good fitting has been found between the experimental and modelled curves. Evolution of calculated breakdown voltages with temperature is in accordance with avalanche theories.     

聚光型光伏系统光电耦合性能研究

针对复合抛物面聚光型光伏（PV-CPC）系统,建立光电耦合模型,模拟不同聚光比下光伏阵列表面太阳辐照度分布规律,并比较3种不同网格电路模型的适用性和准确性。结果表明：采用离散网格照度方法模拟精度最高,同时聚光型光伏系统在提升发电功率的同时也导致一定效率损失。当聚光比增大时,光伏阵列表面辐照度值及不均匀性增大,最佳聚光面处的照度分布均匀性优于CPC出口处;光伏阵列的发电功率和效率与太阳总辐照度呈正相关、散射比呈负相关关系。     

A cell-to-module-to-array detailed model for photovoltaic panels

This paper presents a modified current–voltage relationship for the single-diode model. The single-diode model has been derived from the well-known equivalent circuit for a single photovoltaic (PV) cell. A cell is defined as the semiconductor device that converts sunlight into electricity. A PV module refers to a number of cells connected in series and in a PV array, modules are connected in series and in parallel. The modification presented in this paper accounts for both parallel and series connections in an array. Derivation of the modified current–voltage relationships begins with a single solar cell and is expanded to a PV module and finally an array. Development of the modified current–voltage relationship was based on a five-parameter model, which requires data typically available from the manufacturer. The model accurately predicts voltage–current (V–I) curves, power–voltage (P–V) curves, maximum power point values, short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage across a range of irradiation levels and cell temperatures. The versatility of the model lies in its accurate prediction of the aforementioned criteria for panels of different types, including monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon. The model is flexible in the sense that it can be applied to PV arrays of any size, as well as in simulation programs such as EMTDC/PSCAD and MatLab/Simulink. Accuracy of the model was validated through a series of experiments performed outdoors for different configurations of a PV array.     

Numerical investigation of high-concentration photovoltaic module heat dissipation

The present study performs a series of simulations based on the Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes equations, the RNG k–ε turbulence model, and the P1 radiation model to investigate the passive cooling of high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) solar cell modules. The simulations focus specifically on the effects of the direct normal irradiance, the ambient temperature, the module elevation angle and the wind speed on the thermal management performance of the HCPV module. The results have shown that the maximum cell temperature within the HCPV module reduces as the wind speed increases. Moreover, the heat dissipation performance of the HCPV module is significantly dependent upon the wind speed for wind speeds below 1 m/s. In addition, the maximum cell temperature is a linear function of the ambient temperature and direct normal irradiance. Finally, the simulations have shown that the temperature distribution and flow-field phenomena in the HCPV module possess distinct three-dimensional asymmetrical characteristics. In other words, simulation models based on symmetrical boundaries, periodic boundaries, or two-dimensional geometries are insufficient to investigate the thermal management performance of real-world HCPV modules.     

Summary of the Closing Session

Plausible costs of photovoltaic power plants of concentration are presented. Costs are based as much as possible on the recent experience of solar thermal plants. Efficiencies, on the existing world experience of PV power plants. The result is that the costs of concentrating photovoltaic plants should be of 0.08 ECUs/ kWh, about 1/3 of that of flat module plants, and of the same order of magnitude, even lower, than those attributed to solar thermal plants of present technology.

For the future, high concentration systems based on Si or tandem cells seem to be the most promising, also in the range of costs of the advanced solar thermal plants.     

Influences of spectrum change to 3-junction concentrator cells

PV output of multi-junction cells is strongly influenced by spectrum change. The influence of Sun height was quantitatively analyzed, considering seasonally and daily changes of spectrum. The new model also considered the presence of clouds. The influence of daily random fluctuation of spectrum was shown averaged out in the integration of yearly PV output fluctuation. It was suggested that the overall mismatch loss by the change of Sun height and Sun orbital would be <4% for III–V multi-junction cells for concentration application, when the bandgap of each junction was well balanced. The sensitivity of spectrum fluctuation was shown enlarged with the discrepancy of current matching conditions.     

基于相变微胶囊悬浮液的太阳能光伏热系统的研究进展

在太阳能光伏热系统中,光伏电池温度过高会导致太阳能发电效率下降。相变微胶囊悬浮液(MEPCMS)是一种潜热型功能性流体,将其作为冷却介质用于太阳能光伏热系统可以有效降低光伏电池温度,提高系统的能量利用率。针对相变微胶囊易泄露、导热性差等问题提出了改性方法,使其具有光热转换功能并提升了综合性能。基于性能评价指标分析了太阳能光伏热系统性能的影响因素。结果发现,流速、浓度和太阳辐照量是影响MEPCMS在太阳能光伏热系统中换热性能的关键因素。适当增加MEPCMS浓度和流速能提高工质的换热性能,在降低光伏板温度的同时增加太阳辐照量和系统热电产量,但需结合太阳辐照量大小合理匹配工质的浓度和流速。未来研究方向可集中在提升MEPCMS在太阳能光伏热系统中的换热性能、探究运行参数和太阳辐照量之间的匹配关系、优化集热器结构、利用其蓄热性解决太阳能间歇性等方面。     

Development of the high concentration III-V photovoltaic system at INER,Taiwan

The 100 kW high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) system has been constructed in October 2007 at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER), Taiwan. The maximum module efficiency with a geometrical concentration ratio of 476× is about 26.1% under 850 W/m² DNI and passive cooling conditions [Cherng-Tsong Kuo. The project of demonstrating MW high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) system. Science and technology yearbook of Taiwan. ROC; 2008]. The 100 kW HCPV system consists of 14 sets of pillar-stand 5 kW systems and 21 sets of roof-top 1.5 kW systems. Each 5 kW system and 1.5 kW are comprised of 40 modules and 12 modules respectively. Each module was integrated with 40 solar cells with 35% conversion efficiency each, manufactured by Spectrolab Company, the highest III-V solar cell conversion efficiency record keeper. This project is the pioneer for the establishment of one MW HCPV demonstration system in 2008.     

Thermal-photovoltaic solar hybrid system for efficient solar energy conversion

A hybrid solar system with high temperature stage is described. The system contains a radiation concentrator, a photovoltaic solar cell and a heat engine or thermoelectric generator. Two options are discussed, one with a special PV cell construction, which uses the heat energy from the part of solar spectrum not absorbed in the semiconductor material of the cell; the other with concentration of the whole solar radiation on the PV cell working at high temperature and coupled to the high temperature stage. The possibilities of using semiconductor materials with different band gap values are analyzed, as well as of the different thermoelectric materials. The calculations made show that the proposed hybrid system could be practical and efficient.     

Design and analysis of a CPV/T solar receiver with volumetric absorption combined spectral splitter

Spectral beam splitting is a promising technology to achieve the maximum electrical and thermal outputs from concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (CPV/T) systems simultaneously. In this article, a novel CPV/T receiver is proposed by incorporating a fluid based filter together with a solid absorptive filter. The geometry of the receiver is developed for a designed linear flat mirror concentrator. According to the optical transmittance of both fluid based filters and solid absorptive filters, as well as their corresponding merit functions, four fluid filters and two solid filters are determined to be the candidates of the combined filter for the silicon concentrator solar cell. Then, a complete solar radiation propagation process from concentrator to the designed CPV/T receiver is simulated using ray tracing software-LightTools. The results show that the surface illumination uniformity of the PV module filtered by each combined filter under the linear flat mirror concentrator is higher than 96%. Using 5 g/L CoSO₄ solution and HB650 as the combined filter, 33.67% of the concentrated light can be directed to the PV module with the remainder collected by the filter as thermal energy and the silicon CPV cells can convert 27.06% of this energy into electrical power. This contributes to the fact that 92.43% of the light striking the PV module is within 650-1100 nm, which is the spectral response range of the cell can work efficiently. The total efficiency of 49.88% can be achieved with such a filter and the electrical efficiency is 9.1% with respect to the total incident power on the receiver.