Analysis of point focussing, high concentration, photovoltaic array

The gains achieved by concentrating the sun´s rays may be offset if several design factors are not carefully considered. A commercially available 300-sun PV concentrator array was installed at the Physics Department of the University of Port Elizabeth and was evaluated over a two-year period. The high concentration ratios amplify the effects of poor design. This article presents some important results that illustrate how certain design factors impact on the performance of the concentrator array under typical South African conditions