“With multiple commercial scale power plants connected to the grid in 2010, CPV technology is now ready for take-off,” said the European trade association.
After many years of intense research activities for increasing efficiency, improving reliability and reducing the manufacturing cost, 2010 is a milestone for Concentrator Photovoltaics. Current commercial scale projects demonstrate that the technology has the highest performance in the hot and arid regions of the world. The low temperature coefficient is also crucial for the deployment of the technology in the sunniest places. The module efficiency in current power plants has reached 25-27% and is expected to grow to 30% by 2012.
CPV uses simple materials like glass, steel, silicone and very few semiconductor materials, which helps drive down cost, and all materials are used to their maximum efficiency. “CPV is really unique in a sense that it combines highest efficiencies with lowest cost of materials” stated Hansjörg Lerchenmüller, CEO of Concentrix and a Board Member of the CPV Consortium.
In addition, the technology benefits from a very light environmental footprint due to its low lifecycle CO2 intensity, high recyclability, short energy payback time, very low water consumption, and optimum use of the land.
Capitalising on all of these assets, the first CPV companies entered the commercial and industrial stage with clear support from the financial community. In 2010, many large, commercial CPV projects have been completed and grid connected. One of the speakers at the conference, Mark Crowley, CEO of SolFocus stated that, “Today, CPV has reached the stage of commercialization and is able to deliver on its promise of low-cost, reliable solar-generated electricity.”
Proven reliability in the field and long-term durability
Installation and implementation in the field can be made by the local workforce and with only a few specialists needed, allowing for the creation of local jobs and helping to contribute to the ease of operations. The technology is flexible in size, allowing for commercial installations from 1 MW to 100+ MW, and it is able to be commissioned in phases. “Today, multiple commercial scale CPV power plants world-wide are demonstrating the high reliability in the field, besides the already proven performance achieved during the certification process, which clearly indicates that CPV technology is ready for large scale deployment” said Adel El Gammal, Secretary General of EPIA.
A massive potential for cost reduction
Today CPV technology is already competitive in high solar resource regions. It is anticipated that this cost will significantly drop as the industry continues to scale up and the further develop the market.
“The main message we wanted to portray is that the CPV industry is commercial and has reached the next level of installation, with the first companies completing megawatt projects” concluded Hansjörg Lerchenmüller.
The CPV Consortium is an international industry organization that supports the development and long-term success of the Concentrator Photovoltaics industry with the goal of providing a low-cost, reliable source of renewable energy. The CPV Consortium is the instrument though which the various participants in the industry can collaborate to ensure Concentrating PV systems attain their complete market potential. Since its introduction in mid-2007, the Consortium has welcomed many new members who have helped enable the rapid development of CPV as it moves toward becoming a mainstream energy source.
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