Work

Optothermal Modeling for Sustainable Design of Ultrahigh-Concentration Photovoltaic Systems

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The development of ultrahigh-concentration photovoltaic (UHCPV) systems plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable solar energy technologies. As the demand for clean energy grows, the need to align concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system design with high-efficiency solar cell production becomes critical for maximizing energy yield while minimizing resource use. Despite some experimental efforts in UHCPV development, there remains a gap in integrating Fresnel lens-based systems with the comprehensive thermal modeling of key components in improving system sustainability and performance. To bridge this gap and promote more energy-efficient designs, a detailed numerical model was established to evaluate both the thermal and optical performance of a UHCPV system. This model contributes to the sustainable design process by enabling informed decisions on system efficiency, thermal management, and material optimization before physical prototyping. Through COMSOL Multiphysics simulations, the system was assessed under direct normal irradiance (DNI) ranging from 400 to 1000 W/m2. Optical simulations indicated a high theoretical optical efficiency of ~93% and a concentration ratio of 1361 suns, underscoring the system’s potential to deliver high solar energy conversion with minimal land and material footprint. Moreover, the integration of thermal and optical modeling ensures a holistic understanding of system behavior under varying ambient temperatures (20–50 °C) and convective cooling conditions (heat transfer coefficients between 4 and 22 W/m2.K). The results showed that critical optical components remain within safe temperature thresholds (<54 °C), while the receiver stage operates between 78.5 °C and 157.4 °C. These findings highlight the necessity of an effective cooling mechanism—not only to preserve system longevity and safety but also to maintain high conversion efficiency, thereby supporting the broader goals of sustainable and reliable solar energy generation.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su17125262

Authors: Taher Maatallah, Mussad Alzahrani, Souheil El Alimi, Sajid Ali

Institutions: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, University of Monastir, Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Monastir

Language: English

Topic: solar cell performance optimization

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896