European Thermodynamics Limited

DEPICT

Device Enhanced Performance of Integrated Concentrator

Overview

Multi-junction CPV cells have a much higher photon to electricity conversion efficiency than silicon-based PV cells. However, multi-junction CPV cells are at risk of mechanical fatigue and degradation of performance at high operational temperatures due to differences of coefficients of thermal expansion of each sub-cell.

Project end date

May 2018

Aims

The DEPICT project intends to solve the above problem using effective thermal management and active and instantaneous temperature control with thermoelectric technology. This will lead to increased compound semiconductor multi-junction concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) voltage output and significantly improved power generation performance.

Further aims of the project are to:

1. reduce CPV device geometry, thereby increasing the device density per wafer, leading to a reduction in device cost.
2. increase module efficiency by at least 10% from the nearest state of the art.
3. increase lifetime and reliability.
4. develop easy to manufacture, lower cost modules through simulation and fabrication.

This project has a modular and scalable market application to be able to harvest solar energy in the range of domestic kW to commercial MW power plant scale.

Partners

Results

The partners attended the 9th International Conference on Applied Energy, ICAE2017, 21-24 August 2017, Cardiff, UK.

The conference presentation was entitled, “Experimental characterization and multi-physics simulation of a triple-junction cell in a novel hybrid III:V concentrator photovoltaic–thermoelectric receiver design with secondary optical element”, Tracy Sweet.