Solar electric concentrators with small concentration ratios: field experience and new developments

Author

Mohring, Hans D. ; Gabler, Hansjtirg

Author_Institution

Zentrum fur Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung, Stuttgart, Germany

fYear

2002

fDate

19-24 May 2002

Firstpage

1608

Lastpage

1611

Abstract

Based on the experience from PV V-trough concentrators for medium to large scale power stations a new concentrator system (ARCHIMEDES) with passive tracking adapted for small decentralized applications has been developed. The PV receiver is optimized for operation at 2× with standard one sun solar cells. An improved thermohydraulic drive reaches a tracking accuracy better than ±1 deg. The system is designed for efficient water pumping and is in operation and under test in Germany, Spain and Greece since summer 2000 and reached annual PV energy harvests above 3000 kWh per installed kWp. Field test results are reported and the technical and economic potential of PV systems with small concentration ratios is addressed.

Keywords

pumps; solar cell arrays; solar energy concentrators; solar power stations; testing; water supply; ARCHIMEDES; Germany; Greece; PV V-trough concentrators; PV receiver; Spain; annual PV energy harvests; economic potential; field experience; medium to large scale power stations; one sun solar cells; passive tracking; small concentration ratios; small decentralized applications; solar electric concentrators; technical potential; thermohydraulic drive; tracking accuracy; water pumping; Apertures; Large-scale systems; Mirrors; Performance gain; Photovoltaic cells; Power generation; Power generation economics; Sun; System testing; Underwater tracking;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2002. Conference Record of the Twenty-Ninth IEEE

ISSN

1060-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7471-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.2002.1190923

Filename

1190923