Point-focus spectral splitting solar concentrator for multiple cells concentrating photovoltaic system

In this paper we present and experimentally validate a low-cost design of a spectral splitting concentrator for the efficient conversion of solar energy. The optical device consists of a dispersive prismatic lens made of polycarbonate designed to simultaneously concentrate solar light and split it into its spectral components. With respect to our previous implementation, this device concentrates light along two axes and generates a light pattern compatible with the dimensions of a set of concentrating photovoltaic cells, while providing a higher concentration ratio. The mathematical framework and the constructive approach used for the design are presented and the device performance is simulated using ray-tracing software. We obtain spectral separation in the visible range within a 3 × 1 cm2 area and a maximum concentration of 210× for a single wavelength. The device is fabricated by injection molding and its performance is experimentally investigated. We measure an optical transmissivity above 90% in the range 400–800 nm and we observe a spectral distribution in good accordance with simulations. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of the device for cost effective high efficiency concentrated photovoltaic systems.