Short Summary
Plug-In Photovoltaic
Receiver for Concentrator Applications
Pierre Verlinden
99-22
EISG Project Title: Plug-In
Photovoltaic Receiver for Concentrator Applications
EISG Grant Number: 99-22
PIER Area: Renewable Energy Technologies
Principal Investigator: Pierre Verlinden
Contact Information: (408) 991-0910 pverlinden@sunpowercorp.com
Organization: SunPower Corporation
Grant Amount: $74,977
Grant Term: 12 Months
Project Description:
The purpose of this project is to research the feasibility of fabricating a standardized plug-in photovoltaic (PV) receiver for fresnel-lens concentrator systems. Up to four prototypes receiver units will be built and tested.
Proposed Outcomes:
· Prototype plug-in PV receiver module.
· Specifications for plug-in PV receiver module.
· Process steps for device fabrication.
· Feasibility assessment based on prototype performance testing.
Anticipated Benefits:
· Reduces the installed cost of fully integrated PV concentrator systems to about $3,000/kW which is less than half the cost of current flat-plate PV systems.
· Increases the performance and reliability of concentrator systems by integrating into a single module, under factory controlled conditions, the PV cell, substrate, secondary optical element, bypass diode, heat spreader, heat sink and electrical and mechanical connections.