Low-X single-axis solar louver tracking system for residential rooftop applications

Concentrated PhotoVoltaic (CPV) systems have the potential to minimize system cost as compared with traditional PV systems by replacing a portion of the solar cells with less-expensive reflective material. In this project, a CPV prototype was designed, built, constructed, and tested that utilized far Infrared (IR) transmissive mirror film for the reflective material. The film was adhered to a series of panels which articulated to track the sun throughout the day and concentrated 2 to 3 times the sunlight onto a set of stationary PV arrays. The system was designed such that it could be installed on a residential rooftop. When compared to a PV array on a similarly sloped roof without concentration, the system produced 51% more energy output over the course of several days.