STTR Phase I: Concentrator Photovoltaics with High-Refractive-Index Encapsulants

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)资助的。小型企业技术转让(STTR)第一阶段项目旨在确定一种创新方法的技术和商业可行性，以提高太阳能-电力转换系统的性能和降低成本。特别是，我们将改进聚光光伏(CPV)系统，将高效太阳能电池封装在透明、高折射率的环氧树脂中。我们预计，通过利用成熟的发光二极管(LED)封装技术，这种方法可以降低CPV的制造成本。在CPV中使用高折射率材料将提高聚集率，同时保持发电组件的广泛视野，这些组件可以集成到各种CPV系统中。该STTR通过开发一种新型光伏设备来满足可再生能源市场的需求，该光伏设备能够在降低固有制造成本的情况下实现超高性能。集中器技术可以在短期内从根本上改变可再生能源市场，这是任何其他竞争技术都无法比拟的。通过用更便宜的塑料透镜和/或金属反射镜取代昂贵的半导体材料，集中式光伏系统原则上既可以降低光伏组件的整体成本，又可以提高性能。该STTR计划利用固态照明领域的工作，在CPV系统中实现更高的浓度比和更宽的视野，从而以更低的成本制造，从而实现第三代光伏的最终目标，即以低成本实现超高转换效率。除了科学和商业影响外，这一STTR项目还具有强大的教育成分，使研究生能够在一个新的、跨学科的、潜在的高影响力领域接受教育和培训。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project aims to establish the technical and commercial feasibility of an innovative approach for improving the performance and lowering the costs of photovoltaic solar-electric power conversion systems. In particular, we will improve concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems by encapsulating high-efficiency solar cells within a transparent, high-refractive-index epoxy. We anticipate lowering CPV manufacturing costs with this approach by leveraging established light emitting diode (LED) packaging technology. The use of high index of refraction material in a CPV will enable increased concentration ratios while maintaining a wide field of view in power generating subassemblies that can be incorporated into a variety of CPV systems. This STTR addresses the renewable energy market by developing a novel photovoltaic device capable of ultra-high performance with reduced intrinsic manufacturing costs. Concentrator technologies can radically alter the renewable energy market in the near term like no other competing technology. By replacing expensive semiconductor materials with cheaper plastic lens and/or metal mirrors, concentrator photovoltaic systems can in principle both reduce overall photovoltaic module costs and improve performance. This STTR program leverages work in solid state lighting to achieve higher concentration ratios and wider field of views in CPV systems that can be manufactured at lower costs and thus realize the ultimate objective of third generation photovoltaics, namely ultra-high conversion efficiency at low costs. In addition to the scientific and commercial impact, this STTR program has a strong educational component, enabling graduate students to be educated and trained in a novel, interdisciplinary, and potentially high-impact field.