Developing a highly integrated receiverless low concentration module with III-V multijunction cells

Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules are composed of many components and interfaces and require complex fabrication processes, which in turn may cause lack of reliability. The presented work tackles these considerations, proposing an innovative highly integrated low concentration photovoltaic (LCPV) concept. The purpose is to develop a module with a high level of integration by lowering the number of components and interfaces. At first, the linear parabolic mirror, used as concentrator optics, can be considered as multifunctional, combining thermal, structural and optical functionalities. On this basis, the proposed CPV prototype design features a receiverless configuration, where the cells are directly arranged on the rear side of each mirror. Moreover, such implementation claims to demonstrate the applicability of reliable flat PV fabrication processes (such as lamination and cell interconnection) for the manufacturing of this LCPV module. Geometrical considerations, together with thermal and optical...