Field testing of flat-plate and concentrator photovoltaic systems at the Solar Technology Acceleration Center

Eight flat-plate photovoltaic (PV) systems and two concentrator PV (CPV) systems are undergoing side-by-side field testing at the Solar Technology Acceleration Center in Colorado, USA. Comparative analysis reveals operational differences due to technology attributes, site characteristics, weather, and other variables. This paper presents typical operating profiles, seasonal trends, snow recovery analysis, selection of normalization parameters for energy performance analysis, temperature correlation, and a review of equipment reliability.