Dense-array concentrator photovoltaic prototype using non-imaging dish concentrator and an array of cross compound parabolic concentrators

Kok-Keong Chong, Tiong-Keat Yew, Chee-Woon Wong, Ming-Hui Tan, Woei-Chong Tan and Boon-Han Lim

Applied Energy, 2017, vol. 204, issue C, 898-911

Abstract: In this paper, we would like to report on a prototype of dense array concentrator photovoltaic (DACPV) system including the practical implementation and economic assessment. The newly proposed system consists of primary concentrator in the form of non-imaging dish concentrator and secondary concentrator as an array of dielectric filled crossed compound parabolic concentrators coupled to multi-junction solar cells. Optical and electrical simulations have been carried out to analyze the overall performance of the prototype for difference rim angles and tracking accuracies. A special method has been developed to plot the I-V and P-V curves of the prototype on-site without using commercial I-V tracer. The average cell efficiencies for all basic modules in the DACPV receiver were measured onsite in the range from 35.0% to 36.1%, which is very close to the laboratory test result conducted by Spectrolab at 38.5%. On the other hand, the system efficiency of our prototype system was measured only in the range between 16.1% and 17.4% at DNI ranging from 740 to 801W/m2. For economic analysis, the cost per watt of current prototype has been determined as USD 5.8/W based on the price of only building one unit. The techno-economic of DACPV system can be further improved in the future by increasing solar concentrator ratio more than 1600 suns and reducing the optical losses incurred by the secondary concentrator.

Keywords: Non-imaging dish concentrator; Crossed compound parabolic concentrator; Concentrator photovoltaic; Dense-array solar cells; Concentrator solar power (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261917303537
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:appene:v:204:y:2017:i:c:p:898-911

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... 405891/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.03.108

Access Statistics for this article

Applied Energy is currently edited by J. Yan

More articles in Applied Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().