Design of Optical Elements for Low Profile CPV Panel with Sun Tracking for Rooftop Installation

We are developing a new approach to greatly expand the applicability of concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) from only ground-based, full external 2-axis tracking installations, to fixed-tilt CPV installation with integrated tracking that can be installed on rooftops. We designed and fabricated an optical element for this fixed-tilt CPV installation, and more than 99% of the output energy through the 10×10mm
²
optical element is focused on an area with a radius of 180um, which is well within a solar cell with an active area of 0.55×0.55mm
²
, corresponding to a concentration ratio of 330×. This new strategy ultimately eliminates the costly external 2-axis tracking mechanism, and drives down the all-in system cost of Micro-scale Optimized Solar-cell Arrays with Integrated Concentration (MOSAIC) CPV to achieve cost parity with that of crystalline silicon PV panels.