Concentrated Solar Power Photovoltaic Systems: Prospect Development and Challenges

Solar photovoltaics have progressed a long way into low-cost power generators based on single junction solar cell efficiency now reaching their fundamental Shockley-Queisser limit. Efficiencies higher than 50% have been demonstrated with multijunction solar cells, however, their high cost is not suitable for utility at scale in solar systems. Solar thermal collectors combine high collection efficiency up to 80% with low cost. Moreover, solar thermal systems offer the advantage of low-cost energy storage for a wider utilization of solar energy, however, competition for land and rooftop surface for solar energy systems is becoming more and more important with the scarcity and increasing costs of fossil fuels. Hence, solar photovoltaic and thermal systems offer a solution with higher utilization of available area and simultaneous generation of electricity and heat. In recent years, efficient solar energy systems have been developed that utilize up to 50% of the incident solar spectrum. A large fraction of the spectrum, however, remains unused limiting the efficiency of solar energy systems. To utilize a larger fraction of the solar spectrum, appropriate spectral management is therefore required, for maximum output of electricity and thermal energy.

This research topic aims to address spectral management methods for the wider utilization of the solar spectrum, thus improving the power output of solar energy devices, that is solar photovoltaics combined with solar thermal systems, as well as photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems. Modeling techniques, as well as experimental work and results related to modern photovoltaic and low concentration solar power technologies are welcome to the collection. These topics may include, but are not limited to, novel one-sun or stationary low geometrical concentration configurations, incorporating thin films in tandem with novel spectral converters and splitters or filters are of particular interest and are welcome in this Research Topic collection to aid the energy transition and overcoming technical and financial barriers.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to:
• Novel configurations of photovoltaic/thermal conversion
• Novel stationary low geometrical concentration configurations with spectral splitting
• Thin films in tandem with novel spectral converters and splitters or filters
• Emergent photovoltaic materials for full spectrum harvesting.

Keywords: solar cells and pv systems, concentrated solar power (csp), optical materials and photonics, solar energy conversion

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