Comparison of achromatic doublet on glass Fresnel lenses for concentrator photovoltaics.

Silicone on glass (SoG) Fresnel lenses are the reference technology in concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) because of their simplicity and low cost. Nevertheless, their performance is strongly limited by chromatic aberration. As an alternative, in order to overcome such limitation, achromatic doublet on glass (ADG) Fresnel lenses were proposed.

Indoor Experimental Assessment of the Efficiency and Irradiance Spot of the Achromatic Doublet on Glass (ADG) Fresnel Lens for Concentrating Photovoltaics.

We present a method to characterize achromatic Fresnel lenses for photovoltaic applications. The achromatic doublet on glass (ADG) Fresnel lens is composed of two materials, a plastic and an elastomer, whose dispersion characteristics (refractive index variation with wavelength) are different. We first designed the lens geometry and then used ray-tracing simulation, based on the Monte Carlo method, to analyze its performance from the point of view of both optical efficiency and the maximum attainable concentration.

Design and modeling of a cost-effective achromatic Fresnel lens for concentrating photovoltaics.

This paper presents a novel Fresnel lens capable of significantly reducing chromatic aberration in solar applications. The optical performance of this achromatic lens has been analyzed through ray-tracing simulations, showing a concentration factor three times higher than that attained by a classic silicone on glass (SOG) Fresnel lens while maintaining the same acceptance angle. This should avoid the need for a secondary optical element, reducing the cost associated with its manufacturing and assembly and increasing the module reliability.