Power rating and energy yield of hybrid CPV/flat-plate PV modules

This article summarizes the IEC compliant power rating procedure applied to a hybrid CPV/PV module of the EyeCon technology which uses III-V four-junction CPV cells in combination with bifacial c-Si PV cells. The combined power output of both solar cell types at standard test conditions reached 342 W/m2, which corresponds to a world record efficiency of 34.2% for the conversion of the reference AM1.5g spectrum. For the first time, we present the annual energy yield of the 4J EyeCon module for the six reference climate zones defined in the energy rating standard IEC 61853-4. When comparing the hybrid yield with the highest electrical generation between conventional CPV and flat-plate PV modules, we found that hybrid CPV/PV technology delivers a maximum energy surplus of 20% in temperate continental climate.