Tiling large areas with luminescent solar concentrators: geometry effects

Abstract: Luminescence solar concentrators act as semi-transparent photovoltaic cells and can be applied to large surface areas in modern urban environment. In this paper their optical efficiencies were analytically derived for different unit shapes as simple, integral-free expressions. Perimeter length increase for the same enclosed area requires more photodetectors, yet reduces optical losses per unit. An exact interplay between these two parameters is presented, which can be directly applied to the analysis of tiling for large areas. An explicit expression for the critical size of an LSC unit, above which its inner part becomes inactive, has been obtained. Fabrication of devices larger than specified by this limit should be discouraged from efficiency considerations.