Flat-plate photovoltaics with solar-tracking origami micro-concentrator arrays

A new micro-concentrator architecture based on origami concentrators is proposed for plate-plate photovoltaic applications to potentially lower the cost of electricity. The fabrication of the concentrators adopts the origami technique, allowing the use of thin-film processing technologies. The concentrators are lightweight, flexible, and requiring only a one-dimensional translational motion for solar tracking. In combination with high-efficiency GaAs solar cells, a six-time energy output was demonstrated per unit solar cell area from a prototype origami solar array.