Novel materials and devices for sunlight concentrating systems

Photovoltaic conversion under concentrated sunlight is a highly promising technique that could make solar-electric power generation economically competitive with fossil fuel power generation by the mid-1980's. An economic analysis has been performed which demonstrates that solar cell efficiency, concentrator efficiency, and concentrator cost are the most important parameters in a concentrating photovoltaic system; solar cell cost is only of secondary importance (at least for Si solar cells). Six novel structures are described, including modified conventional Si cells Ga1−xAlxAs/GaAs devices, interdigitated cells, vertical and horizontal multijunction cells and “multicolor” devices. © 1978, All rights reserved.