Optical concentration effects on conversion efficiency of a split-spectrum solar cell system

Abstract

A detailed analysis is presented to exhibit the possibility of a split-spectrum solar cell system to improve solar energy conversion above 50% and to explain the important role of optical concentration in such a system. The analysis is based on numerical simulation using a solar cell capacitance simulator. In the analysis, it is assumed that an ideal optical system is used to split the solar spectrum and concentrate the radiation into a six-solar-cell system. The parameters of the assumed and used materials are obtained from literature. The analysis shows that an efficiency of 45.39% can be achieved without concentration. This can reach 47.35% with 10 Sun concentration and 49.84% with 100 Sun concentration. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.