Test Sites and Testing of 3-Sun Mirror Modules

The demand for solar photovoltaic cells and modules has far outstripped PV cell supply and module prices are rising. To solve this problem, JX Crystals is developing a 3-sun mirror module that uses 1/3 the cell area to triple module production at a lower cost. Our concentrator module design uses existing planar cells. We simply cut standard SunPower A300 cells into thirds. In addition, our module design uses standard circuit lamination procedures and equipment. However, we add a thin aluminum sheet at the back of the laminated circuit for heat spreading. While a standard planar module contains rows of pseudo square cells, our low concentration modules consist of rows of third-cells. We then locate linear mirrors with triangular cross sections between the cell rows. The mirror facets deflect the sun's rays down to the cell rows (patent pending). Herein, we report on the design configurations, present photographs of the test systems, and present the initial outdoor test results