Performance testing and qualifications of Sandias third baseline photovoltaic concentrator module

Prototypes of a photovoltaic concentrator module, the Sandia Baseline Module 3 (SBM3), have been designed, built, and tested. The SBM3 is intended to be a high-efficiency module that can be readily adapted for commercial production. It consists of a 2×12 parquet of lenses arranged with 24 cells in an aluminum housing. The geometric concentration ratio is 185. The cells use prismatic covers. The module features a new concept in cell assemblies in that the cells are soldered directly to a copper heat spreader, eliminating the expensive ceramic wafer and heat sink that have been used in previous designs. Electrical isolation was accomplished by anodizing and electrophoretically coating the aluminum housing. Lessons learned during construction and testing of the SBM3 are presented, along with the outdoor performance characteristics of prototype modules and results from qualification testing. The test results were mostly favorable; the few test failures can be corrected with minimal further development of the processes