Alaeddine Mokri
Solar Energy Materials and Devices Lab, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Mahieddine Emziane
Solar Energy Materials and Devices Lab, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Download article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3384/ecp110572738Published in: World Renewable Energy Congress - Sweden; 8-13 May; 2011; Linköping; Sweden
Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 57:6, p. 2738-2742
Published: 2011-11-03
ISBN: 978-91-7393-070-3
ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)
This paper offers an overview about the current status of the concentrator photovoltaic technologies and market. It highlights the potential of this technology to bring the cost of electricity to competitive levels with fossil-fuel based resources. It starts with an overview about the photovoltaic market and then it narrows its scope to describe the concentrator photovoltaic technology (CPV). Then; it goes on quantifying the world CPV capacity based on the latest industry reports released in 2010. In this paper; we estimate the current world operational CPV capacity to be 21 MW. This paper also reports a minimum installation cost as low as 3.05 $/W and a levelised cost of electricity as low as 0.14 $/kWh. Those are the minimum costs announced in 2010. One interesting conclusion of this study is that CPV systems with high concentration have a higher economic potential comparatively with low concentration CPV systems.
[1] Trevor M. Letcher; "Future Energy: Improved; sustainable and clean options for our planet." Elsevier; 2008.
[2] K. Rajeshwar; R. McConnell; S. Licht “Solar hydrogen generation toward a renewable energy future”; Springer; 2008.
[3] “Technology roadmap: solar photovoltaic energy;” International Energy Agency; 2010.
[4] A. Extance; C. Marquez; “The Concentrated Photovoltaics Industry Report 2010;” CPV Today; 2010.
[5] R. A. Sherif; N. H. Karam; R. R. King; D. R. Lillington; "The Path to 1 GW of Concentrator Photovoltaics Using multi-junction Solar Cells;" 31 IEEE PVSC pp17-22; 2005; "multi-junction Solar Cells;" Nature Photonics 2008.
[6] M. A. Green; K. Emery; Y. Hishikawa and W. Warta; Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications; 2010; 18:346–352.
doi: 10.1002/pip.1021.
[7] R. Gordon; G. Kinsey; A. Nayaak; V. Garboushian; “30% CPV module milestone;” in proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Photovoltaic Systems (CPV-6); pp171; 2010.
[8] S. Kurtz; “Opportunities and Challenges for Development of a Mature Concentrating Photovoltaic Power Industry”; Technical Report NREL/TP-520-43208; Revised November 2009.
[9] D. Friedman; “National solar technology roadmap: concentrator PV”; Management Report NREL/MP-520-41735; June 2007.
