A new static concentrator PV module with bifacial cells for integration on facades: the PV VENETIAN store

This paper deals with the design and manufacture of a photovoltaic concentrator for PV integration on buildings (like a PV VENETIAN store), based on a very promising approach consisting of a new glass concentrator and a recently developed bifacial silicon solar cell technology at industrial scale. One of the main goals is to reduce PV cost by means of a combination of concentration and bifacial solar cell. In addition, regarding electricity generation, the system proposed is more advantageous than flat PV modules when installed in a vertical position (as usual in facades) because of its capability of adjusting the angle to the Sun, that is, a PV Venetian blind installed in a vertical facade will produce more electricity that any module based on flat plate technology. A factor of 1.6 in electricity generation has been considered. This fact takes also the advantage of the large acceptance angle of the concentrator (/spl plusmn/30/spl deg/).