Author : Ali H. Al-Hamdani Slafa I.Ibrahim and Shaima Khyoon Abud Alrda

Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC) plates have been prepared with different concentrations (1*10-5, 2*10-5, 3*10-5 , 5*10-5 , 7*10-5 , 1*10-4 Mol/L) of organic dye doped polymer. The optical properties of dye doped and un-doped polymer were measured and the solar to electric conversion efficiencies of several LSC modules based on R6G, and mixture of dyes (R6G & RB)doped in PMMA and Epoxy with different sample thickness were measured. It was found that the conversion efficiency depend on dye concentration in the LSC. The best conversion efficiency improvement for a modules Si-solar cell of dimensions of 10cm x 20cm covered with R6G (3*10-5 mol/l concentration)doped PMMA LSC was6.927% (i.e. with efficiency incensement Δη=13.3% compared with the same module without LSC). Also it was found that LSC consists of mixture of dyes (R6G & RB with concentration 7E-5) doped PMMA had η=7.596%. This LSC exhibitsa potential to improve the Si solar cell performance efficiency, since a wide absorption and emission spectra will be used. The effect of epoxy as a host material for R6G in LSC was studied for the same concentration above. These results show that by using epoxy as a host for R6G (2*10-5 concentration) had η=7.897% (i.e. efficiency increment Δη=14.4% compared with LSC for R6G doped PMMA). This is a promised results since epoxy resins can set at room temperature. However, epoxy resins have a poorer photostability compared with PMMA. Also the results include the effect of sample thickness on the conversion efficiency of Si solar cell.

Keywords: Luminescent Solar Concentrator; Optical properties; Solar conversion efficiency; Epoxy; PMMA, Rhodamine 6G dye and Rhodamine B dye.

Article published in International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, Vol.5, No.4 (Aug-2015)