Modelling and Optimization of a Concentrating PV-Mirror System

Abstract

The paper presents results on a novel low

concentration system for photovoltaic/ hybrid module, its

geometric modelling and the optimal working parameters. The

low concentration system is build up of a PV module and two

mirrors, one on the left side and symmetrically on the right side

along the length of the PV module. Our objective is to

maximize the received direct radiation of the PV or hybrid

module, maintaining an overall geometric size of the system as

small as possible with a minimum number of the tracking steps.

Two cases were considered: the first case when the reflected

solar radiation from each mirror sweeps the whole surface of

the PV module increasing by almost 2x the amount of radiation

that sweeps the PV-surface; the second case when the reflected

light from each mirror partially sweeps the PV-module surface,

building together one cover of light on the plane and increasing

the amount of radiation that falls on the module surface around

1x. Although the total amount of radiation that falls on the

photovoltaic/hybrid module surface in the second case is far

less than in the first situation, the overall size of the system is

strongly reduced.