Optothermal Modeling for Sustainable Design of Ultrahigh-Concentration Photovoltaic Systems

Taher Maatallah, Mussad Alzahrani, Souheil El Alimi and Sajid Ali ()
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Taher Maatallah: Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
Mussad Alzahrani: Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
Souheil El Alimi: Laboratory of Thermal and Energy Systems Studies (LESTE), National Engineering School of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia
Sajid Ali: Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: The development of ultrahigh-concentration photovoltaic (UHCPV) systems plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable solar energy technologies. As the demand for clean energy grows, the need to align concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system design with high-efficiency solar cell production becomes critical for maximizing energy yield while minimizing resource use. Despite some experimental efforts in UHCPV development, there remains a gap in integrating Fresnel lens-based systems with the comprehensive thermal modeling of key components in improving system sustainability and performance. To bridge this gap and promote more energy-efficient designs, a detailed numerical model was established to evaluate both the thermal and optical performance of a UHCPV system. This model contributes to the sustainable design process by enabling informed decisions on system efficiency, thermal management, and material optimization before physical prototyping. Through COMSOL Multiphysics simulations, the system was assessed under direct normal irradiance (DNI) ranging from 400 to 1000 W/m 2 . Optical simulations indicated a high theoretical optical efficiency of ~93% and a concentration ratio of 1361 suns, underscoring the system’s potential to deliver high solar energy conversion with minimal land and material footprint. Moreover, the integration of thermal and optical modeling ensures a holistic understanding of system behavior under varying ambient temperatures (20–50 °C) and convective cooling conditions (heat transfer coefficients between 4 and 22 W/m 2 .K). The results showed that critical optical components remain within safe temperature thresholds (<54 °C), while the receiver stage operates between 78.5 °C and 157.4 °C. These findings highlight the necessity of an effective cooling mechanism—not only to preserve system longevity and safety but also to maintain high conversion efficiency, thereby supporting the broader goals of sustainable and reliable solar energy generation.

Keywords: UHCPV; simulation; optical; thermal; concentration ratio; optical efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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