Reducing CPV Materials Cost Through Multistage Concentration

In PV manufacturing, process costs fall rapidly with scale, but a slower decrease in material costs limits cost reduction. Analysis of a proposed multi-stage-concentration module shows that even with additional concentration stages for low tandem-cell cost, initial concentration by a trough mirror can greatly reduce overall materials usage compared to Fresnel/box CPV. A compact sealed module at the trough’s focus allows high-performance materials for efficiency and durability, and estimated costs (¢/W, LCOE, capital-to-scale) compare favorably to even silicon PV.