Outdoor degradation evaluation of multi-junction solar cell for four Fresnel concentrated photovoltaic systems

ABSTRACT

The degradation effect of triple-junction solar cells due to exposure in practical conditions and its influence on the performance of Fresnel concentrated photovoltaic system has been studied. To analyse the behavioural performance theoretically and experimentally, four secondary concentrators of similar physical structure but with reflective and refractive properties such as a refractive prism, reflective prism, refractive, and reflective compound parabolic concentrator are considered. Observations characterising solar cells as new, semi-old, and old based on their degradation reveal an efficiency decrease of up to 42%. Also, results demonstrate better performance for reflective profiles, particularly with 17% overall efficiency by reflective prism, besides Fresnel lens without any secondary concentrator exhibits the highest efficiency of 21%. The behavioural characteristics of the individual system have been addressed based on practical errors.

KEYWORDS:

• Fresnel CPV
• outdoor experiments
• secondary concentrator
• degradation of triple-junction solar cell

Acknowledgments

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).