VENDOROVERVIEW
More energy per acre
Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) has been slowing increasing market share for commercial PV ventures. Stephanie Rosenthal, President of PyronSolar discusses how CPV has the highest output to land ratio for large scale solar installations and outline the company’s offerings in this area.
70 W
ith CPV the objective is the same as any other form of photovoltaic
energy. Convert sunlight into electricity. In that respect, concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems are similar to conventional PV installations. The distinction stems from the manner in which the sunlight is harnessed and transformed into electric power, the effort necessary and – of course – the results. While the concept and technology of concentrated photovoltaic systems can be traced back more than 40 years, recent advancements in design engineering and feasibility are enabling CPV to become commercially available.
While conventional flat panels have their undisputed market in residential installations (mostly on rooftops), CPV installations are on their way to delivering a substantial green energy
source for big utilities. When it comes to large installations of several MWs, conventional installations of solar panels are faced with certain disadvantages.
Efficiencies are less than ideal 15-20% for silicon and even lower (8-10%) for thin films. Additionally, PV systems can suffer from temperature degradation in hot climates, possibly resulting in markedly lower energy output. While the presence of the sun is essential for generating electricity, too much intensity can be detrimental to performance. Figure 1 shows an overview of different cell efficiencies in research.
The amount of photon absorbing material required for producing a desired amount of electricity must also be considered. Both the cost and availability of the material, as well as the extensive real estate that can be required for the installation, are primary concerns.
Recognizing that the inherent disadvantages make conventional PV less and less suited for commercial applications, solar design engineers are turning to concentrated photovoltaic to achieve higher efficiencies, obviate the heating effects of the sun and keep installations as compact as possible. As a result, CPV has evolved to the point where proprietary designs and functioning prototypes are proving the validity and cost- effectiveness of the technology.
CPV systems use concentrating optics like Fresnel lenses (which are made out of acrylic to collect
www.solar-pv-management.com Issue V 2010
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