Efficiency Performance Optimization of Photovoltaic Systems with Solar Concentrators

Abstract

Solar energy technology has undergone rapid improvement in recent years, with significant increases in efficiency and decreases in cost, solar energy becoming a viable source of renewable energy for both residential and commercial use. However, despite these advancements, the widespread adoption of solar energy as a primary source of power is still hindered by several challenges. One of the major challenges is the intermittency of solar power, which is caused by the dependence on weather conditions and the limited capacity for energy storage. To overcome these challenges, there are several alternative approaches being researched and developed. One promising alternative that should be highlighted is the use of advanced solar concentrators, which use lenses or mirrors to focus sunlight onto small, high-efficiency solar cells to increase the amount of sunlight that reaches the solar panels, thus increasing the system's overall efficiency. Solar concentrators have been widely used in large-scale power plants, they can also be used in residential and commercial applications where the cost of photovoltaic cells is prohibitively expensive. They are especially useful in applications where space is limited or where the goal is to maximize the energy output of a given area. Hence, this study aimed to optimize the output of solar energy systems by using solar concentrators. The performance of the system will be compared under two conditions: one without a solar concentrator and one with solar concentrators. Two types of solar concentrators will be tested, the Fresnel lens and a self-made parabolic dish. The efficiency of the photovoltaic system will be analysed based on the output voltage, current, temperature, and power efficiency. An experiment was conducted, and the results have confirmed the significant improvement in efficiency achieved by using solar concentrators. The highest optimization of efficiency was attained with a self-made parabolic dish, showing an impressive increment of 22.6%, followed by the Fresnel lens with 19.77%, and without any solar concentrator at 17.06%. The data acquisitions further demonstrated the superiority of the parabolic dish over the Fresnel lens and the absence of a solar concentrator.