C-RATING: TEST, RATING, AND SPECIFICATION OF PV CONCENTRATOR COMPONENTS
V Programa Marco de la Unión Europea
Instituto de Energía Solar-UPM
European Commission Directorate General Joint Research Center (JRC) Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.v. (ISE) Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables, S.A. (ITER) Angewandte Solarenergie ASE GmbH (ASE)
The purpose of this project is to define the standard criteria and methods to try specific components and PV concentration systems, with the goal of permitting the marketing of these products with the same acquainted guarantee of the conventional flat modules. As a result of the project, a conclusion handbook about the work done was published by the experts who participated, managers of all PV sectors, starting with scientists, measure laboratories, official certifying centres, manufactures and final users.
This handbook contains the proposed standards, the minimum required specifications and the test procedures and monitoring recommended and has been distributed as the grounds to start an open dialogue with the aim of establishing a European Directive.
The system´s and PV concentration component´s evaluation can not follow the same methods used in the flat panels because: the receptor´s illumination is not even, they require an efficient heat dissipater, the methods used to measure the generated energy are not sufficiently verified, etc. The problem´s status requires a prompt start of the definition of standard processes of analysis, evaluation and specification of components and systems and modulates the concentrator´s yield to calculate the energy production. The work has to be developed in five main stages: