Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society ISSN:1598-6411(Print) 2508-3562(Online) 한국태양에너지학회 논문집

Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) system consists of high-quality complex optical elements, mechanical devices, and electronics components and can have the advantages of high integration and high-efficiency energy sources. III-V compound semiconductor cells have proven performance based on high reliability in the aerospace field, but have characteristics that require absolute support of the balance of systems (BOS) such as solar position trackers, receivers with heat sinks, and housing instruments. To determine the optimum parameters of secondary optical elements (SOEs) design for CPV systems, we designed three types of CPV modules, classified as non-SOEs type, reflective mirror type, and CPC lens type. We measured the I-V and P-V characteristics of the prototype CPV modules with the angle of inclination varying from 0° to 12° and with a 500-magnification Fresnel lens. The experimental results assumed misalignment of the solar position tracker or module design of pinpoint accuracy. As a result, at the 0° tilt angle, the CPC lens produced lower power due to the quartz transmittance ratio compared to that by other SOEs. However, for tilt angles greater than 3°, the CPC lens type module achieved high efficiency and stability. This study is expected to help design high-performance CPV systems.