Concentrated Photovoltaics (CPV) is increasingly been recognized as the technology which holds the greatest promise in meeting the energy challenges facing the world.
A concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system converts light energy into electrical energy in the same way that conventional photovoltaic technology does. The difference in the technologies lies in the addition of an optical system that focuses a large area of sunlight onto each cell. Concentrating photovoltaics has been an established science since the 1970s, but is only now reaching commercial viability. It is the newest technology to enter the solar Sector.
CPV systems can be thought of as telescopes, trained on the suns position and feeding the concentrated light to the cell. The magnification ratio used in different CPV system designs varies so widely that three classes of systems have developed:
+ Low concentration (LCPV), where the magnification ratio is less than 10X
+ Medium concentration (MCPV), between 10X and 150X;
+ High concentration, where the ratio lies above 150X, but is usually less than 1000X.
 Download Zytech LCPV Brochure
Download Zytech MCPV Brochure
Concentrating photovoltaic technology offers the following advantages:
+ Potential for solar cell efficiencies greater than 40%
+ No moving parts
+ No intervening heat transfer surface
+ Near-ambient temperature operation
+ No thermal mass; fast response
+ Reduction in costs of cells relative to optics
+ Scalable to a range of sizes.
Zytech Solar has focused its own technology on the development of low concentration technology. With an approximate concentration of 2.25X, it produces 1.8 to 2 times more power than a regular PV installation.
| 
