Performance, problems, and expectations of concentrator photovoltaic systems [electronic resource]
The photovoltaic cell or solar cell can be used to convert sunlight directly into electrical energy and its relatively simple construction and absence of moving parts make these devices attractive for terrestrial power generation applications. The primary problem preventing large-scale application i...
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Online Access |
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| Corporate Authors: | , |
| Format: | Government Document Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Albuquerque, N.M. : Oak Ridge, Tenn. :
Sandia National Laboratories. ; distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy,
1977.
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| Subjects: |
| Summary: | The photovoltaic cell or solar cell can be used to convert sunlight directly into electrical energy and its relatively simple construction and absence of moving parts make these devices attractive for terrestrial power generation applications. The primary problem preventing large-scale application is the very high cost of solar cell arrays. For example, the most advanced solar cell is the silicon cell and, currently in the United States, silicon solar arrays cost about $15,000 per peak kilowatt in moderately large quantities. One approach to reducing the cost of solar cell arrays is to concentrate sunlight on the cells and increase the specific output power density of the cells. In this approach, expensive solar cell area is replaced by, hopefully, less expensive reflective or refractive concentrator materials. The United States Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) is supporting a program to develop concentrator photovoltaic systems with the primary objective to develop low-cost reliable systems for widespread terrestrial applications. The specific long-term cost goal for these systems is $500 per peak kilowatt by 1982. The most promising solar cell systems for concentrator applications are silicon and galium arsenide and these materials have received the most attention to date in the ERDA program. Design, preliminary performance testing results, and cost estimates for concentrator photovoltaic systems are discussed. |
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| Item Description: | Published through SciTech Connect. 01/01/1977. "sand-77-0760c" " conf-770547-1" Solar energy short course, Madrid, Spain, 2 May 1977. Burgess, E.L. |
| Physical Description: | Pages: 8 : digital, PDF file. |