Performance and reliability of a 30-kW triple-junction photovoltaic receiver for 500X concentrator dish or central receiver applications

P. J. Verlinden; A. Lewandowski; J. B. Lasich

doi:10.1117/12.680159

8 September 2006 Performance and reliability of a 30-kW triple-junction photovoltaic receiver for 500X concentrator dish or central receiver applications

P. J. Verlinden, A. Lewandowski, J. B. Lasich

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6339, High and Low Concentration for Solar Electric Applications; 633907 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.680159
Event: SPIE Optics + Photonics, 2006, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Over the last 15 years, Solar Systems has developed a dense array receiver PV technology for 500X concentrator reflective dish applications. This concentrator PV technology has been successfully deployed at six different locations in Australia, counting for about 1 MWp of installed peak power. A new Multijunction III-V receiver to replace the current silicon Point-Contact solar cells has recently been developed. The new receiver technology is based on high-efficiency (> 32%) Concentrator Ultra Triple Junction (CUTJ) solar cells from Spectrolab, resulting in system power and energy performance improvement of more than 50% compared to the silicon cells. The 0.235 m² concentrator PV receiver, designed for continuous 500X operation, is composed of 64 dense array modules, and made of series and parallel-connected solar cells, totaling approximately 1,500 cells. The individual dense array modules have been tested under high intensity pulsed light, as well as with concentrated sunlight at the Solar Systems research facility and at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's High Flux Solar Furnace. The efficiency of the dense array modules ranges from 30% to 36% at 500X (50 W/cm², AM1.5D low AOD, 21°C). The temperature coefficients for power, voltage and current, as well as the influence of Air Mass on the cell responsivity, were measured. The reliability of the dense array multijunction III-V modules has been studied with accelerated aging tests, such as thermal cycling, damp heat and high-temperature soak, and with real-life high-intensity exposure. The first 33-kWp multijunction III-V receiver was recently installed in a Solar Systems dish and tested in real-life 500X concentrated sunlight conditions. Receiver efficiencies of 30.3% and 29.0% were measured at Standard Operating Conditions and Normal Operating Conditions respectively.

Citation Download Citation

P. J. Verlinden, A. Lewandowski, and J. B. Lasich "Performance and reliability of a 30-kW triple-junction photovoltaic receiver for 500X concentrator dish or central receiver applications", Proc. SPIE 6339, High and Low Concentration for Solar Electric Applications, 633907 (8 September 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.680159

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