Slick Sheet: Project
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with partner Sandia National Laboratories will develop a micro-CPV system. The team’s approach integrates optical concentrating elements with micro-scale solar cells to enhance efficiency, reduce material and fabrication costs, and significantly reduce system size. The team’s key innovation is the use of traditional silicon PV cells for more than one function. These traditional cells lay on a silicon substrate that has etched reflective cavities with high-performance micro-PV cells on the cavity floor.

Slick Sheet: Project
Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), along with their partner organizations, will develop a high efficiency micro-CPV system that features the same flat design of traditional solar panels, but with nearly twice the efficiency. The system is divided into three layers. The top and bottom layers use a refractive/reflective pair of tiny spherical lens arrays to focus sunlight onto a micro-CPV cell array in the center layer.

Slick Sheet: Project
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with partner Arizona State University will develop a new concept for PV power generation that achieves the 30% conversion efficiency associated with traditional concentrated PV systems while maintaining the low cost, low profile, and lightweight of conventional FPV modules. MIT aims to combine three technologies to achieve their goals: a dispersive lens system, laterally arrayed multiple bandgap (LAMB) solar cells, and a low-cost power management system.

Slick Sheet: Project
Glint Photonics in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), will develop a stationary wide-angle concentrator (SWAC) PV system. The SWAC concentrates light onto multi-junction solar cells, which efficiently convert sunlight into electrical energy. A sheet of arrayed PV cells moves passively within the module to maximize sunlight capture throughout the day. Two innovations allow this tracking to occur smoothly and without the expense or complexity of an active control system or a mechanical tracker.

Slick Sheet: Project
George Washington University (GWU) and their partners will develop a hybrid CPV concept that combines highly efficient multi-junction solar cells and low-cost single-junction solar cells. When direct sunlight hits the lens array, it is concentrated 1000-fold and is focused onto the multi-junction solar cells. Diffuse light not captured in this process is instead captured by the low-cost single-junction solar cells. The module design is lightweight, fewer than 10 mm thick, and has a profile similar to conventional FPV. Moreover, the combination of the two types of cells increases efficiency.

Slick Sheet: Project
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and their partners will design and fabricate a new CPV module with features that can capture both direct and diffuse sunlight. The team’s approach uses a luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) sheet that includes quantum dots to capture and re-emit sunlight, micro-PV cells matched to the color of the light from the quantum dots, and a coating of advanced materials that enhance concentration and delivery of sunlight to the micro-PV cells.

Slick Sheet: Project
In Phase I of its project, Nexceris developed a compact, ultra-high efficiency solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack tailored for hybrid power systems. In Phase II, Nexceris is collaborating with Czero Solutions and Brayton Energy on designing and developing an ultra-high-efficiency power system that hybridizes an SOFC and a gas turbine. Nexceris will manage the project and lead SOFC technology development and stack production activities; Czero will serve as the system integrator; and Brayton will provide the gas turbine technology.

Slick Sheet: Project
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will develop next generation heat exchangers for use in hybrid power generation systems. Proper and efficient heat transfer is at the heart of a hybrid system that allows each sub-component to operate most efficiently and at its optimal conditions. Integrated hybrid systems require heat exchangers that can accommodate both high temperatures as well as elevated pressures.

Slick Sheet: Project
The Colorado School of Mines (Mines) will develop a hybrid power generation system that leverages a pressurized, intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack and an advanced low-energy-content fuel internal combustion engine.

Slick Sheet: Project
Stony Brook University will develop a hybrid distributed electricity generation system that combines a pressurized solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with an advanced internal combustion engine (ICE). SOFCs and ICEs are complementary technologies whose integration can offer high efficiency, low emissions, long life, and durability. The team's innovation includes the use of a high power density, pressurized SOFC stack with anode recirculation with a spark ignition (SI) engine.