The XR nonimaging photovoltaic concentrator

Abstract

The performance of the XR solar concentrator, using a high efficiency multi-junction solar cell developed recently by Spectrolab, is presented. The XR concentrator is an ultra-compact Nonimaging optical design composed of a primary mirror and a secondary lens, which can perform close to the thermodynamic limit of concentration (maximum acceptance angle for a given geometrical concentration). The expected acceptance angle of the concentrator is about ±2 deg for a geometrical concentration of 800x (a Fresnel lens and secondary system typically has ±0.6 deg of acceptance for 300x of geometrical concentration). This concentrator is optimized to improve the irradiance distribution on the solar cell keeping it under the maximum values the cell can accept. The XR concentrator has high manufacturing tolerance to errors and can be produced using low cost manufacturing techniques. The XR is designed with the Simultaneous Multiple Surface (SMS) design method of Nonimaging Optics. Its application to high-concentration photovoltaics is now being developed in a consortium led by The Boeing Company, which has recently been awarded a project by the US DOE in the framework of the Solar America Initiative.