The quantum dot concentrator: theory and results

Luminescent solar collectors have advantages over geometric concentrators in that tracking is unnecessary and both direct and diffuse radiation can be collected. However, development has been limited by the performance of luminescent dyes. We present experimental and theoretical results with a novel concentrator in which the dyes are replaced by quantum dots (QDs). Advantages over dyes include that the absorption threshold can be tuned by choice of dot diameter, and that the red-shift between absorption and luminescence is related to the spread of dot sizes. We have developed a self-consistent thermodynamic model for planar concentrators which allows for re-absorption by the QDs. We find that this three-dimensional flux model shows excellent agreement with experiment.