Aiming for Mega Solar

Daido Steel aims to develop light concentrating photovoltaic cells and establish technology applicable to mega solar use. Daido Steel has domestically conducted verification tests on single system units and confirmed the reliability of the generation system.

Daido Steel constructed a power-generation plant with Japan’s largest nominal output of 30 kilowatts in Aichi Rinku New Energy Research Area in February 2009 and initiated verification testing. The Company will verify long-term power generation performance and power supply stability using conditions under which many generation systems are connected, to complete an electric-generation system suited to the generation business.

Secure maximum electric generation with minimum material

This is of significance in reducing the cost of power generation and the environmental load. A concentrating type photovoltaic cell is a technology to obtain large amounts of electricity using lenses to condense solar energy, and then irradiating the concentrated energy onto high efficiency elements (cells). The magnification is 550 times, which means that sunlight can be captured and concentrated with a lens 550 times larger than the element area without waste. The generation efficiency of the cell becomes double that of the general generation element, so the area of the semiconductor becomes 1/1000.

However, if electricity that is generated is wasted by the solar tracker, it does not make sense to use the system. The average electric consumption of a motorized solar tracker device developed by Daido Steel is only 0.5 watts/1 kW output (measured during calm conditions in February).

What is CPV ?

Features

• Collect light and generate with small generation cell
• Follow the sun always in front
• Collect the sun beam 550 times
• The module rotates using the following rack

Effect

• It is possible to generate electricity at low cost.
• Generate more electricity at the same area
• Control cost by saving the high cost generation cell
• About 1.6 times the amount of generation of solar panel

System

• Use efficient generation cell
• Collect light by plastic lens
• Collect the sun beam 550 times
• Manufacture by injection molding that is suitable for volume production

Use

• For a big scale generation such as solar generation plant, etc.