22.7% efficient 1000×GaAs concentrator module

A practical commercial design has been developed for a 1000×concentrator module based on a 2×18 layout of high-efficiency, GaAs, single junction solar cells. A 2×1 minimodule section has been fabricated and tested in Palo Alto sunlight and found to have a 22.7% AM1.5D efficiency. It is passively cooled, has a low part count, and uses Fresnel primary lenses and solid glass secondary optics. The module´s high performance demonstrates the viability of a system which can be cost-effectively, manufactured with present technology. The GaAs cell structures are well developed and appropriate for large-scale production. Based on mass-produced, full-size modules with 22% efficiencies, the annualized energy cost estimate for array systems is projected to be $0.12/kWh by the late 1990s using an analysis specified in the DOE Five Year Plan. This meets DOE´s near-term cost goal. This estimated cost drops to the $0.06/kWh value of DOE´s long-term goal using 35%-efficient multijunction cells in 2000×concentrators once the industry has fully matured