Paper
2 May 2012 Recent development in the optics of luminescent solar concentration
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) were developed over three decades ago as a simple route to obtain high concentration ratio for photovoltaic cells without tracking the sun. Despite their exciting theoretical potential, LSCs have thus far reached only modest concentration ratio in practice. Here, we introduce two new approaches to LSC optical design that enable significant increases in concentration ratio for any type of luminescent material. First, we discuss the conceptual basis for nonimaging optics in luminescent concentration and then present exact ray tracing results for the simplest implementation of compound parabolic concentrator-shaped edges that deliver ~15% increase in concentration ratio with negligible decrease in optical efficiency. Second, we extend the recently introduced concept of resonance-shifting to the case of shaped substrates and demonstrate that light can be channeled through an LSC with low loss and localized at specific points, opening up entirely new directions in LSC design.
© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Noel C. Giebink "Recent development in the optics of luminescent solar concentration", Proc. SPIE 8438, Photonics for Solar Energy Systems IV, 84380V (2 May 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.922144
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KEYWORDS
Solar concentrators

Compound parabolic concentrators

Refractive index

Solar cells

Solar energy

Nonimaging optics

Reflectivity

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