The past decade has seen concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) technology transition from a few backyard experiments to an installed global capacity of well over 100 MW. With several utility scale power plants in commercial operation, the presentation will first focus on history and quality of performance since commissioning and overall customer satisfaction. Critical lessons learned from the process of designing, manufacturing and installing product for the utility scale renewable generation market are discussed. The presentation will reflect on how lessons thus far will guide CPV innovators through the flowering of Next Generation CPV technologies, from spectrum splitting optics to five junction solar cells, currently underway throughout the industry. Overall, CPV continues to serve as a robust platform for the new ideas and research needed to mature the higher performance and lower cost technologies critical for continued competitiveness of CPV in the renewable generation marketplace.
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