Contrasting glass and plastic material requirements for reflective and refractive CPV solar systems

Steve Horne; David Krevor

doi:10.1117/12.930526

19 October 2012 Contrasting glass and plastic material requirements for reflective and refractive CPV solar systems

Steve Horne, David Krevor

Proceedings Volume 8489, Polymer Optics and Molded Glass Optics: Design, Fabrication, and Materials II; 84890N (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.930526
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2012, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Concentrator PhotoVoltaic (CPV) solar energy systems concentrate the sun 500 - 1,000 times or more, in order to take economic advantage of the most advanced and efficient solar cells. The two prevalent system architectures use either reflective glass optics - such as based on a Cassegrain telescope design - or a refractive plastic system - either an acrylic or silicone-on-glass Fresnel lens - for concentration. Both systems have their advantages in areas of performance and durability. Both system designs manufacture their optics by low-cost processes that are unavailable to the other material system. These contrasts are reviewed. The refractive system embodies a simpler optical concept, requiring a single Fresnel lens rather than two concentrating mirrors. However, the reflective, glass system uses the greater design sophistication to provide a greater acceptance angle, which yields tolerance benefits in both manufacture and installation; and also provides faster optics without suffering the spectral aberrations of the refractive systems. Both glass and plastics are low-cost commodity materials. The long-term durability of optical glass is more firmly established than for optical plastics. And light transmission through optical plastics is attenuated by absorbance in both the UV and IR regions, in regions where such light is harvested by efficient multi-junction solar cells.

Citation Download Citation

Steve Horne and David Krevor "Contrasting glass and plastic material requirements for reflective and refractive CPV solar systems", Proc. SPIE 8489, Polymer Optics and Molded Glass Optics: Design, Fabrication, and Materials II, 84890N (19 October 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.930526

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
7 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Glasses

Reflectivity

Optics manufacturing

Solar cells

Fresnel lenses

Optical design

Polymers

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years