Concentrated Solar Power
Figure 1. A solar concentrator with lenses.Copyright Solar Energy Development Program EIT, US Department of Energy http://solareis.anl.gov/guide/solar/pv/index.cfm
Students learn how the total solar irradiance hitting a photovoltaic (PV) panel can be increased through the use of a concentrating device, such as a reflector or lens. This is the final lesson in the Photovoltaic Efficiency unit and is intended to accompany a fun design project (see the associated Concentrating on the Sun with PVs activity) to wrap up the unit. However, it can be completed independently of the other unit lessons and activities.
Engineers create concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems that use lenses or reflectors to concentrate light onto PV panels to increase the amount of power each individual panel can produce, and reduce the number of panels needed to produce a certain amount of power. Because solar panels are significantly more expensive than reflectors, this is a cost-effective way to generate clean, renewable energy with a smaller number of panels and a lower cost, which allows solar energy to be used in more applications. CPV systems produce clean, renewable energy that benefits our environment and health.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain how solar concentrators improve the efficiency of solar PV panels.
- Explain how a simple planar reflector can increase the output of a photovoltaic panel.
- Explain why engineers want to maximize the power output of each individual PV panel.