Preliminary performance analysis of a CPV system with dual-axis tracker in a desert region

As we continuously witness the development of new technologies in the renewable energy field, especially the solar energy area, the biggest challenge among researchers all around the world lay on proposing solutions with a high efficiency while maintaining a low cost of the system. Among these solar technologies, there is the concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology which has just entered the industrial deployment phase in the recent years and still needs to prove its reliability and cost competitiveness, to guarantee a wide industrial development. This paper gives a first performance analysis of CPV systems based on a double-axis tracking mechanism in comparison with crystalline silicon PV (Si-PV) system under real desert conditions. The performance analysis includes annual performance comparison between CPV and Si-PV systems and a presentation of the performance ratio of one-megawatt class CPV system over a year of operation.