Tracking-Integrated CPV Technology: State-of-the-Art and Classification

Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology offers an alternative to conventional photovoltaic systems, focusing on the concentration of solar radiation through the optics of the system onto smaller and more efficient solar cells. CPV technology captures direct radiation and requires precise module o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEnergies (Basel) Vol. 16; no. 15; p. 5605
Main Authors Ceballos, Maria A., Pérez-Higueras, Pedro J., Fernández, Eduardo F., Almonacid, Florencia
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.08.2023
Subjects
Alternative energy sources
Analysis
Classification
concentrator photovoltaic
Emissions
Optics
Photovoltaic cells
Radiation
Solar energy
Solar energy industry
solar tracker
Sun
Systems design
tracking-integrated
Wind power
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Summary:Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology offers an alternative to conventional photovoltaic systems, focusing on the concentration of solar radiation through the optics of the system onto smaller and more efficient solar cells. CPV technology captures direct radiation and requires precise module orientation. Traditional CPV systems use robust and heavy solar trackers to achieve the necessary alignment, but these trackers add to the installation and operating costs. To address this challenge, tracking-integrated CPV systems have been developed, eliminating the need for conventional trackers. These systems incorporate tracking mechanisms into the CPV module itself. This review presents a detailed classification of existing designs in the literature and provides an overview of this type of system with different approaches to integrated tracking including tracking concentrator elements, using external trackers, or employing internal trackers (the most researched). These approaches enable the automatic adjustment of the CPV system components to follow the movement of the Sun. The various tracking-integrated systems have different designs and performance characteristics. Significant progress has been made in developing tracking-integrated CPV systems with the aim to make CPV technology more competitive and expand its applications in markets where traditional CPV has been excluded.
ISSN:1996-1073
1996-1073
DOI:10.3390/en16155605