Tapping Holographic Technologies to Make PhotovoltaicsMore ... · Prism Solar Technologies Inc. 10...

Prism Solar Technologies

Juan Russo, Optical Scientist

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Tapping Holographic Technologies to Make Photovoltaics More Cost-Effective

About Prism Solar Technologies:

Prism Solar Technologies Inc.

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•Prism Solar manufactures Holographic Planar Concentrator (HPC) film.

•An inexpensive holographic optical film that can be incorporated into PV modules can replace silicon and improve power and energy output.

•Incorporating HPC film into PV modules offers several performance and manufacturing advantages.

The Technology:


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•Replaces 50-70% of the silicon in a module

•HPC film redirects direct and diffuse light onto the solar cells, increasing the amount of light received by each cell

•HPC film is spectrally selective and only redirects usable light to the cells and allows the infrared light to pass through, allowing the panels to operate at cooler temperatures.

•HPC film can be used with virtually any PV technology

•HPC modules don’t require tracking.

How it Works Prism Solar

Technologies Inc.

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HPC Film diffracts only wavelengths of sunlight that can be converted to energy by the solar cells. This energy is guided, via total internal reflection in the panel, to the cells.

Spectral Selection: Multiple holograms are used to select the most useful wavelengths of light.


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How it Works

Figure 1: Spectral Selection: Multiple holograms can be used to select the most useful wavelengths.


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How it Works


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Modules using HPC Film do not require mechanical tracking systems or cooling systems.

Figure 2: Holographic Planar Concentrator (HPC™) in operation: Holograms tracksunlight throughout the day

Low Embodied Energy: • "Embodied Energy" is the total amount of energy

required to manufacture a product, from mining the raw materials to packaging and shipping the finished goods.

• Prism Solar's HPC Film requires significantly less of the energy needed to manufacture the same area of silicon PV cells.

• Incorporating HPC Film into a solar module reduces the amount of silicon in the panel by 50-75%. This greatly reduces the actual energy required to manufacture solar panels.


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•Collecting direct, low angle, diffuse and reflected light

•Keeping cells at a higher operating efficiency through lower light periods of the day.

•Keeping cells at cooler temperatures by allowing unusable wavelengths to pass through

•All of the above translate into generating more kilowatt hours while using less silicon

HPC technology improves solar module efficiency by:

Prism’s Dual Aperture Modules:


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•Prism Solar's Generation II Dual Aperture HPC Solar Modules are based on bi-facial solar cells, solar cells that collect light from both the front and the back.

•Cell efficiency is increased significantly by the use of bi-facial HPC Film, which keeps the cells at high efficiency even in low light conditions.

Lower Temperature Modules:


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•High temperatures can cause solar cells to operate at lower efficiency and produce less energy.

•HPC Film allows wavelengths that cannot be converted by the PV cells to pass through the module rather than being absorbed as heat.

•With HPC film, the cells operate closer to their ideal temperature.

DA-HPC Module Operates 22% cooler


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Daily Performance ComparisonPrism Solar

Technologies Inc.

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Holo

grap

hic I

mpr

ovem

ent (

non-

dim

)

AC P

ower

(W) (

Enph

ase)

A20 non-Holo A18 Holo Holographic Improvement

Cloudy day Partially Sunny Day

Clear Sunny Day

mini-KLA Test Day

Enphase Data Day

Panel A21 Installation

Panel A18 Installation

Single day performancePrism Solar

Technologies Inc.

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0.0%

6.3%

12.5%

18.8%

25.0%

31.3%

37.5%

43.8%

50.0%

56.3%

62.5%

68.8%

75.0%

81.3%

87.5%

93.8%

100.0%

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06:00 AM06:30 AM07:00 AM07:30 AM08:00 AM08:31 AM09:01 AM09:31 AM10:01 AM10:32 AM11:02 AM11:32 AM12:02 PM12:33 PM01:03 PM01:33 PM02:03 PM02:34 PM03:04 PM03:34 PM04:04 PM04:35 PM05:05 PM05:35 PM06:05 PM06:36 PM

Pow

er (W

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Time MST AZ (on 03/25/2009)

A18 vs. A20 Holographic vs. non Holographic Module Performance

A20 non-Holo (Power)

A18 Holo (Power)

Holographic Improvement

Performance Advantages:


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• Up to a 72% reduction in silicon or other semiconductors used in flat plate modules.

• Maintains and increases module efficiency despite the reduction in cell area.

• Increases both cell and module efficiency during low light levels.

• Increases power production for unusual, vertically or horizontally mounted module arrays, due to the HOE’s intelligent passive tracking behavior.

• Operates at lower temperatures than standard modules.

• No UV degradation.

Manufacturing Advantages:


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•No major changes to manufacturing processes.

•Easy integration of holographic film into module production through standard lamination processes.

•Compatibility with any cell technology, including amorphous, bi-facial and thin film.

•Significant decrease in cost of module materials.


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Prism facilities in Tucson, Arizona and Highland, New York include production facilities for 60MW annual HPC Film production and 25MW of solar module production, as well as extensive R&D development facilities.

Our capacity is rapidly expanding through 2009 to meet a large and growing demand for HPC products.


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Thank you.

Tapping Holographic Technologies to Make PhotovoltaicsMore ... · Prism Solar Technologies Inc. 10...

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