An ultra-wide angle module for optical performance enhancement of fixed-type Photovoltaic systems

This study presents an ultra-wide angle module on the fixed-type Photovoltaic (PV) panel to enhance the efficiency without a mechanical solar tracker. This ultra-wide angle module was composed of an array of light guiding unit, and each unit consisted of an asymmetrical compound parabolic curve (ACPC) and a free-form curve collimator. The ACPC was used to collect the misalignment and diffused light and the light was guided to the free-form curve collimator. The collimator provided the light for a smaller angle and better uniformity, and each light guiding unit was put in array for easily attaching to the PV panel. The simulation results show that this ultra-wide angle module had the optical efficiency above 80% when the misalignment angle was smaller than 20°. In addition, the commercial products are used for the experiment, and the results show that the CPC had 24% higher and the light guiding unit had 37% higher power generation than the naked PV panel.