Asymmetric Four-Terminal Solar Concentrator Improving Power Collection in Bifacial Solar Cells
Anno: 2025
Autori: Morabito F., Fontani D., Sansoni P., Lombardo S., Farina A., Pietralunga S.M.
Affiliazione autori: Politecn Milan, Inst Photon & Nanotechnol Milano, CNR, Piazza L Vinci 32, I-20133 Milan, Italy; CNR, Natl Inst Opt, Largo E Fermi 6, I-50125 Florence, Italy; CNR, Inst Microelect & Microsyst, Zona Ind,Ottava Str 5, I-95121 Catania, Italy.
Abstract: The exploitation of bifacial solar cells in photovoltaics aims to provide cost-effective solutions to maximize solar power collection on specific surfaces. A prerequisite for this is the effective collection of backscattered diffuse light from albedo, to which self-shading is an obstacle. We discuss the benefits of bifaciality for an asymmetric low-concentrating and spectral-splitting photovoltaic optics system that features a wedged right-prism geometry to address self-shading. The performance of the conceptual design is analyzed, using commercial ray-tracing software, for four different latitudes of installation, by assuming a standard solar AM1.5G spectrum as input. The daily Relative Optical Power Increase (ROPI) is evaluated with respect to standard flat bifacial configurations, reaching ROPI = 293% at a latitude of 25 degrees north at winter solstice. The photocurrent and total Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE) in a four-terminal (4T) configuration are estimated, assuming the operation of a commercial Si HJT bifacial cell and a commercial single-junction GaAs cell. A global increase in PCE of up to 23% is obtained with respect to the best-performing trackless standard bifacial configuration. From this perspective, the use of high-performance, high-bandgap solar cells in 4T configurations might further leverage the advantages of the optics proposed here.
Giornale/Rivista: ENERGIES
Volume: 18 (8) Da Pagina: 2044-1 A: 2044-20
Maggiori informazioni: This research was funded by CNR-UVR AMICO2_PoC, through Next Generation EU PoC 2022-PNRR del MIMIT-UIBM Mission1 Component 2 Investment 6.Parole chiavi: bifacial photovoltaics; optical simulation; spectral splitting; four-terminal; Power Conversion Efficiency; integrated photovoltaics (IPV)DOI: 10.3390/en18082044
