Characterization of a CPV module prototype for design and performance improvement

The purpose of this paper is to highlight that a detailed electrical and optical characterization is a basic step to improve the design of a concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) module and enhance its overall performance. The complete characterization of the preliminary CPV module prototype, designed according the state of art, has been carried out revealing lower performances than expected. The reasons of the energy losses have been determined by an accurate optical and electrical analysis. The results of these tests permitted to introduce upgrades into the design of a second version of the CPV module in order to overcome the main defects previously identified. The full characterization of this new version revealed significantly higher performances. Overall, the obtained outcomes demonstrate the benefits of an accurate characterization, allowing both the identification of the system problems design and the evaluation of the effects of the adopted solutions.