The potential for concentrator photovoltaics: A feasibility study in India

Abstract

India has aggressive plans for scaling up photovoltaic installations in the coming decades. Currently fixed tilt, flat plate crystalline silicon (c-Si) technology sets the standard for cost and performance and is both robust and relatively easy to deploy.Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) systems have a different cost structure; using solar cells with the highest efficiencies, system efficiencies greater than 30% are possible, but the system is also more sensitive to meteorological conditions. India has a complex and varied atmosphere that prevents a straightforward comparison of technologies, and hence, in this paper, we use a computer model to simulate the power output from CPV systems located in locations in India where the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) stations are based and additionally, in Bangalore where we have a CPV test station. We quantify the increased intermittency suffered by CPV systems that arises from the larger dynamic range in direct beam irradiance over global irradiance.Nevertheless, by calculating the target system costs required to attain a competitive levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), we find that CPV systems in some, but not all locations have the opportunity to compete against dual-axis tracked and inclined c-Si based PV in India KEYWORDS aerosols, concentrator photovoltaics (CPV), feasibility of CPV, levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), performance analysis, yield estimation

Super-Multi-Junction Solar Cells—Device Configuration with the Potential for More Than 50% Annual Energy Conversion Efficiency (Non-Concentration)

“…In comparison to the current level of the ERE of various solar cells that were collected by several authors [8,[107][108][109], the requirement of the super-multi-junction solar cells is extremely high. The best-measured ERE, to the best knowledge of authors, is 35% [104]. This is far less than 100%.…”

“…Another crucial point is that the distribution of atmospheric parameters, especially aerosol density, was worst for the general performance on multi-junction solar cells with more than three junctions, even though the airmass level (20 • of latitude) is low. The worst-case distribution of the aerosol density is close to North India [57][58][59][60], and this region is known as one of the worst areas for energy generation in multi-junction solar cells in the field experience [104,105]. This is another reason that we need to develop an annual performance model based on realistic atmospheric conditions with a probability the realistic variations.…”

Super-Multi-Junction Solar Cell, Device Configuration with the Potential of More Than 50 % of the Annual Energy Conversion Efficiency (Non-Concentration)

“…Another crucial point is that the distribution of the atmospheric parameters, especially aerosol density was the worst for the general performance to multi-junction solar cells with more than three junctions, even though the airmass level (20° of latitude) is low. The worst-case distribution of the aerosol density was closed to North India [57][58][59][60], and this region was known as one of the worst areas for the energy generation to the multi-junction solar cells in the field experience [109][110]. This is another reason why we need to develop an annual performance model based on the realistic atmospheric conditions with a probability of the realistic variations.…”

Super-Multi-Junction Solar Cell, Device Configuration with the Potential of More Than 50 % of the Annual Energy Conversion Efficiency (Non-Concentration)

“…The worst-case distribution of the aerosol density was closed to North India (see Fig. 6) [57][58][59][60], and this region was known as one of the worst area for the energy generation to the multi-junction solar cells in the field experience [106][107]. This is another reason why we need to develop an annual performance model based on the realistic atmospheric conditions with a probability of the realistic variations.…”