Challenges in performance testing and energy rating of one-axis concentrator photovoltaic system

Introducing a new solar photovoltaic architecture requires an accurate method of performance testing and energy rating that is accepted for cross technology comparison. Standard testing methods are well defined for mature technologies but their use is ambiguous when applied to one-axis Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) systems. We present a methodology to better capture the performance of a one-axis tracked system with an energy harvesting model to evaluate the yearly output. A simple irradiance sensor is used to measure the effective irradiance on the system for performance ratio metrics and identification of any operational issues of installed systems.