ENGINEERINGNET.EU -- Semprius, a US based company, develops high concentrating photovoltaic (HCPV) modules. The latest prototypes achieved a major milestone with 33.9 percent solar module efficiency.
In a joint collaboration with the Spanish Institute of Concentration Photovoltaic Systems (ISFOC) and the University of Madrid, testing was performed by the IES institute of the university.
For the first time a photovoltaic module converted more than one-third of the energy of the solar irradiation on the module area into usable electricity.
Depending on the specific location and irradiation, the HCPV modules can deliver an energy output per square meter that is two times higher than common polycrystalline modules.
Leading module manufacturers of conventional PV technologies achieve a maximum module efficiency of approximately 20 percent with monocrystalline PV modules and about 16 percent with polycrystalline technology.
BACKGROUNDER
In June 2011, Siemens acquired a 16-percent stake in Semprius to scale up the innovative HCPV technology to market maturity. The Semprius HCPV systems bundle the sunlight on the modules with the aid of integrated lenses on small photovoltaic cells. HCPV is a prime alternative to conventional photovoltaics especially suitable for sunbelt regions with high direct irradiation.
