(EnergyIndustry.Net, November 10, 2018 ) Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology entered the market in the mid-2000s as a utility scale solar power generation option. While the technology has witnessed widespread acclaim and a significant number of installations across the globe in the past few years, it is still at a nascent stage of development. When compared to conventional flat-plate PV, which have been lauded for their easy application in domestic settings and rooftops of public and private buildings, the concentrator photovoltaic technology is a relatively small player in the overall solar power generation market.
Recently, the CPV industry has witnessed turbulent times with the number of new installations significantly declining in 2015 as compared to the past. Many major CPV companies have exited the market owing to increased pressures from declining costs of other PV technologies where many others are facing difficulties in raising the capital required to experiment and grow.
Global Concentrator Photovoltaic Market: Trends and Opportunities
Concentrator photovoltaics are solar power generation systems which, unlike conventional photovoltaic systems, use lenses and curved mirrors for focusing sunlight onto a small but highly efficient area of the PV cell. CPV systems often employ solar trackers to further increase its efficiency.
Concentrator photovoltaic systems are mostly of interest to power generation projects located in sun-rich locations that receive direct normal irradiance (DNI) values of more than 2000 kWh. These PV systems are not suitable for installation on rooftops, thus limiting their scope of application to an extent.