Device Enhanced Performance of Integrated Concentrator Photovoltaics & Thermoelectrics

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Title
Device Enhanced Performance of Integrated Concentrator Photovoltaics & Thermoelectrics

CoPED ID
c665853f-24a2-4e66-94a4-5cec11aa3cd2

Status
Closed


Value
£1,504,425

Start Date
March 31, 2017

End Date
May 31, 2018

Description

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Concentrator Photovoltaics (CPV) are a potentially a cost-effective alternative to conventional flat-plate solar modules, due to the use of cheap plastic optics which concentrate sunlight. CPV cells have the highest photon to electricity conversion efficiency (46%) which can be further improved under optical concentration. The small size of standard CPV cells (0.3-1 cm2) potentially leads to very low electricity costs. However, the CPV cell temperature needs to be cooled to optimise power generation, currently done via passive (heat sink) or active (water cooled) systems, often inefficient or complex / expensive. Thermal energy (up to 50% of the incident photon energy) can be controlled effectively with reliable solid-state thermoelectrics (TE) technology, demonstrated at proof-of-concept at Cardiff University. This collaborative project brings together manufacturers of CPV epitaxy (IQE plc) and TE modules (ETL) with proven academic expertise in manufacturing electronic CPV-TE receivers (Cardiff Univ.), and lifetime & reliability testing (Bangor Univ.). The project outcomes will be optimized theoretical designs and manufactured prototypes of novel CPV-TE receivers, lowering costs of renewable energy generation and building the UK CPV supply chain via technical innovation.

IQE PLC LEAD_ORG
EUROPEAN THERMODYNAMICS LIMITED PARTICIPANT_ORG
CARDIFF UNIVERSITY PARTICIPANT_ORG
BANGOR UNIVERSITY N WALES PARTICIPANT_ORG
IQE SILICON COMPOUNDS LIMITED PARTICIPANT_ORG
IQE PLC PARTICIPANT_ORG

Subjects by relevance
  1. Costs
  2. Efficiency (properties)
  3. Optimisation
  4. Photons
  5. Renewable energy sources

Extracted key phrases
  1. Integrated Concentrator Photovoltaics
  2. Standard CPV cell
  3. CPV cell temperature
  4. UK CPV supply chain
  5. CPV epitaxy
  6. Novel CPV
  7. Electronic CPV
  8. Device
  9. Amp
  10. Low electricity cost
  11. TE module
  12. Incident photon energy
  13. TE receiver
  14. Renewable energy generation
  15. Performance

Related Pages

UKRI project entry

UK Project Locations