Holographic Collector to Extend Energy Capture of East-West Mounted Bi-Facial PV Modules

Researchers at the University of Arizona have designed a holographic optical element that collects direct sunlight during midday time periods and diffracts the sunlight to the surfaces of a vertically mounted bi-facial PV panel. It can easily be integrated with existing bi-facial systems to greatly enhance performance during the midday time periods.

Background: 

Bi-facial photovoltaic (PV) solar cells are designed to capture and convert sunlight on the front and back surfaces of the cell. Vertically mounted bi-facial PV solar cells may be implemented to maximize solar energy conversion during morning and late afternoon periods, offsetting the higher energy demands that may occur during those time periods. However, vertically mounted bi-facial PV solar cells are limited in capturing direct sunlight during midday time periods.

Applications:

• Solar energy collection for bi-facial PV systems

Advantages:

• Greatly improves collection efficiency for vertically mounted bi-facial PV systems
• Easy to install on existing systems
• Low cost to fabricate