Recent developments on the flat-plate micro-concentrator module

We develop a novel 300-Sun concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) module. A non-imaging optical design based on a compact total internal reflection (TIR) lens enables a very low profile module, similar to a flat-plate module. This paper presents some recent advances in the development of this module. These advances concern the two main components of the system, the optics and the cell, as well as their integration inside a complete module. The manufacturing cost of the entire system is estimated and compared to conventional Fresnel lens-type systems. This comparison accounts for actual cell temperatures under operating conditions, evaluated through thermal experiments.