Daily fill factor variation as a diagnostic probe of multijunction concentrator systems during outdoor operation

William E. McMahon; Keith E. Emery; Daniel J. Friedman; Larry Ottoson; Michelle S. Young; J. Scott Ward; Charlene M. Kramer; Anna Duda; Sarah Kurtz

doi:10.1117/12.732604

11 September 2007 Daily fill factor variation as a diagnostic probe of multijunction concentrator systems during outdoor operation

William E. McMahon, Keith E. Emery, Daniel J. Friedman, Larry Ottoson, Michelle S. Young, J. Scott Ward, Charlene M. Kramer, Anna Duda, Sarah Kurtz

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6649, High and Low Concentration for Solar Electric Applications II; 664906 (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.732604
Event: Solar Energy + Applications, 2007, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Optimizing a concentrator system which uses multijunction solar cells is challenging because: (a) the conditions are variable, so the solar cells rarely operate under optimal conditions and (b) the conditions are not controlled, so any design problems are difficult to characterize. Any change in the spectral content of direct-beam sunlight as it passes through the concentrator optics is of particular interest, as it can reduce the performance of multijunction cells and is difficult to characterize. Here we show how the fill factor can be used to detect and diagnose this sort of a "spectral skewing" by the concentrator optics during outdoor operation. The work presented here is for GaInP₂/GaAs tandem cells, but the conclusions are equally valid for GaInP₂/GaAs/Ge triple-junction cells.

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William E. McMahon, Keith E. Emery, Daniel J. Friedman, Larry Ottoson, Michelle S. Young, J. Scott Ward, Charlene M. Kramer, Anna Duda, and Sarah Kurtz "Daily fill factor variation as a diagnostic probe of multijunction concentrator systems during outdoor operation", Proc. SPIE 6649, High and Low Concentration for Solar Electric Applications II, 664906 (11 September 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.732604

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