Soitec’s CPV technology is a high-performance system converting sunlight into electricity. The concentrator modules use Fresnel lenses to concentrate sunlight 500 times and focus it onto small, highly efficient solar cells that convert the light into electrical energy. With this technology, Soitec is able to generate almost double the amount of energy per square metre of module than is possible with conventional photovoltaic technologies. Additionally, thanks to the use of two-axis tracking, the system produces constant power output throughout the day.
CPV technology is thus highly promising for utility-scale solar farms in very sunny regions. It has numerous benefits, including electricity generation costs that are 10% to 20% lower than with conventional silicon technology, better handling of peaks in energy consumption, more rapid energy payback times, a high level of durability, negligible water consumption, the use of recyclable materials, and scalability, which means that facilities ranging from one to several hundred megawatts can be designed.
Soitec’s technological expertise in innovative materials will play a key role in improving the performance of photovoltaic cells for CPV systems. It will complement the expertise developed by the teams of Concentrix Solar, a Soitec subsidiary since late 2009, in the design of highly efficient CPV systems for solar power plants.