Cell Assemblies for Photovoltaic Concentrators

Abstract

As an intern with SNL's PV Technology division, I was assigned the task of assisting with the design of a solar cell assembly for the SBM III. Research at SNL is largely a team effort, and it was necessary for me throughout my appointment to both substantially rely on and contribute to the work of others. Nevertheless, given the specific problem of improving the existing cell assembly, my approach was to evaluate it thoroughly through literature review and experiments, and then to design and test my own ideas for improvement. This report documents research I conducted on solar cell assemblies for the Baseline III module. Due to the nature of our approach, my work involved contributions to several aspects of the assembly's design, as opposed to complete responsibility for one part of it. I first present an overview of SBM III, and then discuss the cell assembly and my involvement with its individual parts. Conclusions are presented in the final section, and an appendix is included which discusses testing methods.