Photovoltaics, one of several renewable energy sources,
have been gaining ground world-wide within the last several years. In this talk I will introduce the available
solar resource, the solar energy industry, and the physics of photovoltaics. Standard silicon-based photovoltaics are explained, outlining their energy generation
capacity and limitations. Concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) decrease the usage of semiconductor material by focusing sunlight
and utilize higher-efficiency 3rd
generation photovoltaics cells to reach high
overall efficiencies are discussed along with their advantages and disadvantages. Morgan Solar's proprietary
light-guide technology,
the Sun Simba is introduced with a focus on several of the design challenges
faced in the development of a device that can withstand 20+ years of operation
while concentrating sun-light by a factor of 1000.