Micro-structured reflector surfaces for a stationary asymmetric parabolic solar concentrator

One of the main problems in using parabolic concentrators with standard photovoltaics (PV) cells is the highly non-uniform illumination of the cells. The non-uniform irradiation causes high resistive losses in the standard cells due to their relatively high series resistance. This results in a considerably lowered efficiency. To solve the problem, we introduce three different structured reflectors that will create a more uniform illumination, and also increase the concentration ratio in certain cases. The structures were evaluated in an existing trough system by Monte Carlo ray tracing, and it was found that structures improve the system performance mainly by homogenizing the light on the cells. The yearly irradiation collected in the evaluation system is slightly lower than for a reference with smooth reflectors, but the more uniform illumination of the cells will generate a net increase of the total system performance compared to a system that was optimized with smooth reflectors. The benefit of the increased concentration ratio is increased flexibility in designing new systems with concentration ratios surpassing the limit of existing trough concentrators.