Concentrix Solar GmbH was a German solar power company based in Freiburg, Germany, that specialized in developing and commercializing concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) technology. In December 2009, Concentrix Solar was acquired by the French Soitec Group.[1] 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.[2][3] An agreed sale of the business to Chinese firm ConcenSolar (an entity having ties with Suncore Photovoltaics) in May 2015 was not completed.[4][5] In January 2017, the technology and manufacturing assets were acquired by Saint-Augustin Canada Electric (a former General Electric subsidiary).[6]

History

Concentrix Solar was founded in 2005, as a spin-off company of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. Concentrix Solar builds large concentrator solar power plants suitable for sunny areas.[7] In 2007, Concentrix Solar was awarded the Innovation Award of the German Economy for its CPV technology.[8] From February 2006 to December 2009, the investment company Good Energies was invested in Concentrix Solar.[9] Abengoa Solar was an investor of Concentrix Solar from November 2007 to December 2009.[10]

Technology development

Concentrix concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) modules bundle sunlight up to 500 times with the use of Fresnel lenses and focus it on III-V based triple-junction solar cells (GaInP/GaInAs/Ge),[11] which then convert the light into electrical energy.[12] To ensure that the sunlight is concentrated precisely on the solar cell the CPV modules are installed on a two-axis sun tracking system.[13] With its technology, Concentrix Solar achieves a module efficiency of 27%.[14]

Technology commercialization

Concentrix's tracker and CPV module technologies have been installed in 28 countries worldwide.[15] The largest installation is the 44 MWp (36 MWAC) CPV1 generator completed in 2014 and located near Touws River, South Africa.[16] As of 2019, it is the second largest CPV power station in the world.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Soitec expands into the fast growing solar energy market with the acquisition [sic] of Concentrix Solar". Archived from the original on 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
  2. ↑ "Soitec To Give Up on Solar CPV". Renewable Energy World. 2015-01-20. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  3. ↑ "CPV Hopeful Soitec Exits the Solar Business". Green Tech Media. 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  4. ↑ "Soitec Divests its Solar Business to Refocus on its Core Semiconductor Activities" (PDF). Soitec. 2015-05-21. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  5. ↑ "Soitec announces the end of negotiations with Concensolar regarding a sale of solar assets and continues its refocus on electronics". Financial Times. 2015-08-05. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  6. ↑ "Saint-Augustin Canada Electric Inc.(STACE) acquires Soitec solar CPV technology". STACE. 2017-01-19. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
  7. ↑ "Concentrix Solar: Company". Archived from the original on 2008-12-25. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
  8. ↑ "Innovationspreis der Deutschen Wirtschaft". Retrieved 2008-12-03.
  9. ↑ "Investment Portfolio – Good Energies". Archived from the original on 2008-09-18. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
  10. ↑ "Concentrix Solar: Combining existing expertise for new energy". Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
  11. ↑ "Concentrix Solar: High Performance Cells". Archived from the original on 2010-07-10. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
  12. ↑ "Innovationspreis der Deutschen Wirtschaft 2007 Finalisten". Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
  13. ↑ "Concentrix Solar: Tracking System". Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
  14. ↑ "Concentrix Solar: Concentrator Modules". Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
  15. ↑ "Solar Energy - Soitec CPV Installations - 2014". Soitec. Retrieved 2019-03-07.
  16. ↑ "Projects: Touwsrivier". cpvconsortium.org. Archived from the original on 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
  17. ↑ "List of Project Capacities". cpvconsortium.org. Archived from the original on 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
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