The impact of mirror shape on energy production in Skyline Solar's reflective trough medium concentration photovoltaic system is reviewed using a combination of commercial and proprietary modeling tools. For linear concentrators, an important parameter for efficiency optimization is the uniformity of the flux line on the photovoltaic cells. A significant source of nonuniformity is the discontinuity of reflected light due to the gap between mirrors along the length of the trough. Standard concentrating solar power trough mirrors have a typical length of 1.5 m with a gap between mirrors of 10 to 20 mm. To reduce nonuniformity of the flux line due to this mirror to mirror gap, Skyline Solar developed a dual curvature mirror that stretches the flux line along the trough axis. Extensive modeling and experiments have been conducted to analyze the impact of this design. The methodology of optimization is presented for the X14 Skyline system architecture, and benefits of up to 3% of energy can be realized at locations with latitude below 30 deg.
The design of cost-efficient medium-concentration PV (MCPV) systems requires the analysis of dozens of engineering,
manufacturing and financial trade-offs. In 2007, Skyline Solar designed its first system, the HGS1000, based on a 7x
concentration factor and 0.5 m aperture width. At the then-current cost of components, this was the optimum design.
However, as the cost of silicon cells has fallen and the efficiency of cells has improved, the least-cost point has moved.
This paper explains how we used the combination of field data and advanced performance modeling to re-optimize the
design for lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and achieve 40% cost reduction.x=14&up
Introducing a new solar photovoltaic architecture requires an accurate method of performance testing and energy rating
that is accepted for cross technology comparison. Standard testing methods are well defined for mature technologies but
their use is ambiguous when applied to one-axis Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) systems. We present a methodology
to better capture the performance of a one-axis tracked system with an energy harvesting model to evaluate the yearly
output. A simple irradiance sensor is used to measure the effective irradiance on the system for performance ratio
metrics and identification of any operational issues of installed systems.
Skyline Solar has developed a novel Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) architecture design called High Gain Solar based
on a reflective trough design with optimized Si panels. This design provides a distinct separation between the
functionality of key components enabling parallel development and optimization as well as very rapid deployment. A
predictive tool has been developed to link component characteristics to overall energy production to accurately predict
the performance and degradation of the system in time, as a function of weather patterns and system architecture. This
predictive tool is based on empirical and analytical models combining accelerated stress tests, on-sun performance tests,
finite element analysis and manufacturing variability analyses.
Skyline Solar Inc. has developed a novel silicon-based PV system to simultaneously reduce energy cost and improve
scalability of solar energy. The system achieves high gain through a combination of high capacity factor and optical
concentration. The design approach drives innovation not only into the details of the system hardware, but also into
manufacturing and deployment-related costs and bottlenecks. The result of this philosophy is a modular PV system
whose manufacturing strategy relies only on currently existing silicon solar cell, module, reflector and aluminum parts
supply chains, as well as turnkey PV module production lines and metal fabrication industries that already exist at
enormous scale. Furthermore, with a high gain system design, the generating capacity of all components is multiplied,
leading to a rapidly scalable system. The product design and commercialization strategy cooperate synergistically to
promise dramatically lower LCOE with substantially lower risk relative to materials-intensive innovations. In this paper,
we will present the key design aspects of Skyline's system, including aspects of the optical, mechanical and thermal
components, revealing the ease of scalability, low cost and high performance. Additionally, we will present performance
and reliability results on modules and the system, using ASTM and UL/IEC methodologies.
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