If PV modules could produce electricity with less cells, then their prices would come down. In order for panels to be able to do so using existing cell technology, however, they would need to get more light to the fewer cells. One way to accomplish that is to apply a clear layer of solar concentrators to the surface of a panel. California –based HyperSolar is conducting research into this concept.
The company claims that it has just completed the prototype design of “the world’s first thin and flat solar concentrator for direct placement on top of existing solar cells.” Each sheet will contain a matrix of optical concentrators that are capable of collecting sunlight from a variety of angles. Beneath those concentrators will be a “photonics network,” that will channel light from all the collection points on the top to concentrated output points on the bottom. This network will also able to separate the sunlight into different spectrum ranges, so that specific ranges can be sent to specific cells designed to absorb them.
The sheets will also incorporate a photonics thermal management system that will keep unusable parts of the solar spectrum from reaching the cells. This should keep the cells from overheating, and becoming less efficient.
While HyperSolar predicts that its product will be able to magnify the sun’s rays by 300 to 400 percent, not all cells will necessarily be able to handle that kind of intensity. For that reason, the solar concentrators will come in Low Magnification, High Magnification, and Mix-Mode Magnification models. At the 400 percent level, the company states that a concentrator-equipped panel could use 75 percent less cells than one without. HyperSolar’s next step will be to produce an actual physical prototype, and evaluate its performance.