Low-cost thin-film concentrator solar cells

US9905718B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• PU NI TAI YANG NENG (HANGZHOU) CO., LIMITED · CN

Inventors

• Dong Wang · Beijing, CN
• Pingrong Yu · Santa Clara, US
• Xuegeng Li · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 7, 2012
• Grant date: Feb 27, 2018
• Expiry date: Mar 22, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E10/542

Abstract

A low cost concentrating photovoltaic system includes a condenser system having refractive or reflective optics and a photovoltaic module having one or more thin film solar cells. The thin film solar cells may be a-Si, CdTe, Cu(InGa)Se2, organic solar cell or dye sensitized solar cells. The condenser system may be a flat, cylindrical or hemispherical Fresnel lens, a parabolic reflector, a compound parabolic concentrator, a reflective V-trough, or a combination thereof. The condenser system has a concentration ratio of about 10 to 100 or higher. No tracking system is needed in many examples, or a simple one-axis tracking may be used. In one example, the condenser system uses a hemispherical Fresnel lens which focuses sunlight onto a hemispherical focal surface, and one thin film solar cell (mounted on a tracking unit) or multiple cells (without tracking) are disposed on the hemispherical focal surface of the Fresnel lens.