Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology offers an alternative to conventional photovoltaic systems, focusing on the concentration of solar radiation through the optics of the system onto smaller and more efficient solar cells. CPV technology captures direct radiation and requires precise module orientation. Traditional CPV systems use robust and heavy solar trackers to achieve the necessary alignment, but these trackers add to the installation and operating costs. To address this challenge, tracking-integrated CPV systems have been developed, eliminating the need for conventional trackers. These systems incorporate tracking mechanisms into the CPV module itself. This review presents a detailed classification of existing designs in the literature and provides an overview of this type of system with different approaches to integrated tracking including tracking concentrator elements, using external trackers, or employing internal trackers (the most researched). These approaches enable the automatic adjustment of the CPV system components to follow the movement of the Sun. The various tracking-integrated systems have different designs and performance characteristics. Significant progress has been made in developing tracking-integrated CPV systems with the aim to make CPV technology more competitive and expand its applications in markets where traditional CPV has been excluded.
27 February 2023 in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic systems aim to enhance the conversion efficiency of sunlight and to reduce the cost of electricity. However, it is still necessary to develop optical systems with higher efficiencies and angular tolerances for them to become a reality. This Letter proposes a novel design that is able to achieve a geometric concentration of . The system consists of four concentrator units based on parabolic mirrors and optical guides that concentrate the sunlight onto a single cell. Additionally, a preliminary proof-of-concept module has been assembled for validation purposes. The novel design exceeds the optical efficiency of the existing systems, , and offers almost double acceptance angles, .
Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology offers an alternative to conventional photovoltaic systems, focusing on the concentration of solar radiation through the optics of the system onto smaller and more efficient solar cells. However, the surface on which the solar beam is incident must remain oriented towards the position of the sun, which requires the use of large and heavy external elements known as solar trackers. In addition to their size, these elements must be as accurate as possible to avoid misalignment. To avoid the need of these solar trackers, the concept of tracking-integrated concentrating systems has been developed. This technology has been researched to make CPV systems accessible in places where conventional systems are not viable, such as building roofs or agrivoltaic fields. This review presents a detailed classification of the existing designs in the literature and providing an overview of this type of system. By eliminating the need for external solar trackers, tracking-integrated CPV systems offer a promising solution to increase the adoption of this technology. Therefore, it is expected that these systems will be a viable and effective option for solar power generation.