Concentrix Solar GmbH was a German solar power company based in
Freiburg, Germany
Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...
that specialized in developing and commercializing
concentrator photovoltaics
Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) (also known as concentration photovoltaics) is a photovoltaic technology that generates electricity from sunlight. Unlike conventional photovoltaic systems, it uses lenses or curved mirrors to focus sunlight ont ...
(CPV) technology. In December 2009, Concentrix Solar was acquired by the French
Soitec Group. In January 2015, Soitec announced its intention to exit from the CPV business, citing a lack of sales due to competition from lower-cost conventional photovoltaics. An agreed sale of the business to Chinese firm ConcenSolar (an entity having ties with
Suncore Photovoltaics) in May 2015 was not completed. In January 2017, the technology and manufacturing assets were acquired by Saint-Augustin Canada Electric (a former
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
subsidiary).
History
Concentrix Solar was founded in 2005, as a spin-off company of the
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE (or Fraunhofer ISE) is an institute of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Located in Freiburg, Germany, The Institute performs applied scientific and engineering research and development for all ...
. Concentrix Solar builds large concentrator
solar power plants suitable for sunny areas. In 2007, Concentrix Solar was awarded the Innovation Award of the German Economy for its CPV technology. From February 2006 to December 2009, the investment company Good Energies was invested in Concentrix Solar.
Abengoa Solar
Abengoa Solar (formerly Solúcar Energía) is a subsidiary of Abengoa. Its primary activities include designing, promotion, financing attainment, construction and operation of solar power stations that use photovoltaics, concentrated photovoltaic ...
was an investor of Concentrix Solar from November 2007 to December 2009.
Technology Innovation
Concentrix
concentrator photovoltaics
Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) (also known as concentration photovoltaics) is a photovoltaic technology that generates electricity from sunlight. Unlike conventional photovoltaic systems, it uses lenses or curved mirrors to focus sunlight ont ...
(CPV) modules bundle sunlight up to 500 times with the use of fresnel lenses and focus it on III-V based
Triple-junction solar cell Multi-junction (MJ) solar cells are solar cells with multiple p–n junctions made of different semiconductor materials. Each material's p-n junction will produce electric current in response to different wavelengths of light. The use of multiple ...
s (GaInP/GaInAs/Ge), which then convert the light into
electrical energy. To ensure that the sunlight is concentrated precisely on the solar cell the CPV modules are installed on a two-axis
sun tracking system. With its technology, Concentrix Solar achieves a module efficiency of 27%.
Technology Commercialization
Concentrix's tracker and CPV module technologies have been installed in 28 countries worldwide.
The largest installation is the 44
MWp (36
MWAC)
CPV1 generator completed in 2014 and located near
Touws River, South Africa. As of 2019, it is the
second largest CPV power station in the world.
See also
*
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE (or Fraunhofer ISE) is an institute of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Located in Freiburg, Germany, The Institute performs applied scientific and engineering research and development for all ar ...
*
Concentrator photovoltaics
Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) (also known as concentration photovoltaics) is a photovoltaic technology that generates electricity from sunlight. Unlike conventional photovoltaic systems, it uses lenses or curved mirrors to focus sunlight ont ...
*
Suncore Photovoltaics
*
Amonix
Amonix, Inc. is a solar power system developer based in Seal Beach, California. The company manufactures concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) products designed for installation in sunny and dry climates. CPV products convert sunlight into electrical ...
*
Abengoa Solar
Abengoa Solar (formerly Solúcar Energía) is a subsidiary of Abengoa. Its primary activities include designing, promotion, financing attainment, construction and operation of solar power stations that use photovoltaics, concentrated photovoltaic ...
*
Skyline Solar
Skyline Solar was a Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) company based in Mountain View, California. The company developed medium-concentration photovoltaic systems to produce electricity for commercial, industrial and utility scale solar markets. Th ...
References
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External links
Soitec CPV Installations - 2014Concentrix Technology for Utility-Scale Solar Power Plants, Soitec S.A.Soitec Concentrix Technical Data Sheet Fraunhofer Institute for solar energyInnovation Prize of the German economy
Solar power in Germany
Solar energy companies of Germany
Technology companies of Germany
Companies based in Baden-Württemberg