Origami Solar-Tracking Concentrators

Abstract

The field of solar cells has conventionally been dominated by crystalline silicon, owing to its low cost. Alternative semiconductor materials are typically prohibitively priced, but recent developments are slowly improving their feasibility. This project explores one such option, by incorporating compound parabolic reflective concentrators into solar cell design. Different 2D designs were constructed, and their light collection simulated, using Matlab. The concentrators were optimized for power output. Future research will convert high-performing 2D designs to 3D ones, to better understand the real-world performance of the concentrators.