Search

This article discusses how incorporating semitransparent photovoltaic (SPV) modules into buildings can reduce dependency on conventional energy sources, contributing to a shift toward renewable energy and self‐sustaining construction. It explores various ways to implement SPV technology in building and infrastructure design, and outlines the advantages, such as improved daylighting, thermal regulation, and energy efficiency. The analysis also considers how SPV integration affects energy and exergy performance, emphasizing its role in achieving net‐zero energy buildings. Additionally, the article identifies existing research gaps, providing guidance for future studies and practical applications in the building sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countless years have been spent researching the strategies necessary for improving the energy consumption of buildings globally. There have been numerous attempts at achieving both passive solutions and enhancing and optimising the existing active systems. This paper seeks to review, analyse and summarise the possibilities of using thermoelectricity in two different contexts to the integration with buildings, integrated thermoelectric systems, and non-integrated thermoelectric systems. The utilisation of thermoelectricity in cohorts with existing renewable technologies and the utilisation of thermoelectric systems that operate individually, both have the potential to provide the occupants of a building with conditions pertinent to thermal and visual comfort. The results in this paper are classified according to the integration types of thermoelectric systems within different parts of the fabric of a building while maintaining an active role in enhancing the building envelope and self-contained thermoelectric systems that sustain a passive role for the same. The introduction to this paper also gives a very broad and surface-level insight into categorisation of different kinds of thermoelectric systems that are being studied and researched across the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to the existing literature review on the photovoltaic thermal (PVT) technique, very few review articles on building integrated solar photovoltaic thermal (BIPVT) were reported and this prompted us to present a review of BIPVT literature. The objectives of the present review are to classify the time line of evolution of various designs of BIPVT systems, to quantify the aesthetic value of BIPVT devices, to identify threshold limits of performance and useful computer-based tools available to carry out their performance analysis, to recognize the technical aspects to be considered during the selection of a particular energy storage option and to explain the various policy scenarios. The present review revealed the existence of 3-time regimes of the evolution of the design of BIPVT systems and a higher aesthetic value of 0.5 was observed for façade mounted BIPVT design. The review also indicated that the threshold limit of thermal and electrical efficiency of the BIPVT system was about 80% and 20%, respectively. A variety of PCM-based thermal energy storage materials were proposed compared to other energy storage options. Policy measures undertaken under various policy scenarios were also highlighted in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of Photovoltaic technologies integrated or attached to the building envelope is crucial in managing the building energy demand. In this paper, the performance of PV technologies with the mounting methods of Building integrated and Free-standing (Building attached) is discussed for six different climate zone of the country. A PVGIS program proposed with three PV cell technologies (Crystalline Silicon, Copper indium diselenide, Cadmium Telluride) is used to evaluate monthly energy generation potential and losses of the 2 kWp grid-connected PV system at the latitude and 90°. A 2 kWp PV system is chosen for Economic Weaker Section (EWS) housing schemes depending upon the roof area. From the evaluation, the performance parameter has been estimated. A new parameter Energy Deviation (ED), is proposed to choose the best PV technology in terms of performance. The results of ED agree with the parameters Performance Ratio (PR) and Capacity Factor (CF) defined under the IEC Standard 61724. The potential generation of PV technologies at 90° varies from 41% (Warm and Humid) to 64% (Cold and Sunny) when compared with the latitude. In case of Cold and Sunny and Cold and Cloudy at 90°, the generation performance of Copper indium diselenide is found better in Building integrated and Free-standing mounting methods, respectively. For the remaining zones, Cadmium Telluride technology shows better results. The Percentage loss in the system is found to be minimum in the case of Cold and Sunny, varies between 17% and 25%, and maximum is found for Warm and Humid and varies between 23.2% and 33.4% for the proposed PV technologies. The grid feed-in energy from these EWS houses for all the technologies and climatic zones is found above 45%. It is seen that the combined energy generation from the envelopes (Roof, walls, and facades) makes the houses energy plus in nature. The study has important implications for the government to promote the building integrated Photovoltaic policies in the country.

Recently, phase change materials (PCMs) are suggested for the temperature control and the performance enhancement of PV modules. However, the thermal conductivity of the PCMs is very low and integrating the PV with PCM can adversely affect its performance. In the present work, the effectiveness of using PCM in thermal regulation and efficiency enhancement of free stand and building integrated PV modules are investigated. Four different PV modules; free stand, building integrated, PCM integrated, and Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles enhanced PCM integrated are experimentally investigated. Temperatures distributions, open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, output power and the efficiency of the modules were recorded and analyzed. The results show that (i) integrating the PV module to the building wall dramatically rise the temperature of the module where the daily maximum temperature increased from 50 °C to 75 °C, (ii) integrating the free stand module with PCM box can adversely affect its performance where the maximum daily temperature increased from 50 °C to 62 °C and adding nanoparticles to the PCM can improve the performance where the temperature is reduced to 59 °C, and (iii) integrating the building integrated PV module with PCM box enhances its daily average efficiency by 7.1% and the enhancement ratio increases to 14.2 by improving the thermal conductivity of the PCM by adding 2% Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the prospect of integrating a novel type of low concentration photovoltaic (LCPV) design known as the rotationally asymmetrical compound parabolic concentrator (RACPC) in a building in the United Kingdom. This is done by proposing a number of building integration designs to create a zero carbon building. A cost reduction analysis of installing the LCPV systems in the country is also presented. It was found that an RACPC design could reduce the LCPV module's manufacturing cost by 31.75% and the LCPV module's cost per unit power output by 33.87% when compared with the conventional PV module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most well known building integration of solar energy applications is building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV). Nonetheless, there is another type of building integration technology – building integrated photovoltaic-thermal (BIPV/T), which is gaining popularity. In this paper the discussions start with introducing the BIPV and compared to the BIPV/T technologies. BIPV refers to designs with or without ventilated fluid (air or water), which is able to cool the PV panels and increase the electrical output, and the fluid is then exhausted to the ambient. Whereas for the BIPV/T, ventilated fluid is used as working fluid to collect heat from the PV panel for heating or drying purposes. Installations of BIPV and BIPV/T systems on the roof and wall, as well as using different heat transfer working fluids are also discussed. Case studies of such building integration technologies are also reviewed, including the economics aspect. Therefore, this paper aims to provide constructive information on the advantages, as well as addressing the limitations of these technologies, which could be used as references for scientists and engineers in the building and construction industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption trends in residential and commercial buildings show a significant increase in recent decades. One of the key points for reducing energy consumption in buildings is to decrease the energy demand. Buildings envelopes are not just a structure they also provide protection from outdoor weather conditions always taking into account the local climate. Thermal energy storage has been used and applied to the building structure by taking advantage of sensible heat storage of materials with high thermal mass. But in recent years, researchers have focused their studies on the implementation of latent heat storage materials that if well incorporated could have high potential in energy demand reduction without occupying the space required by sensible storage. The aim of this study is to review the thermal energy storage passive systems that have been integrated in building components such as walls, ceilings or floors, and to classify them depending on their component integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering global trends such as climate change and resource scarcity, a major challenge of future cities will be to reduce urban footprints. Moreover, cities have to become or remain livable for their inhabitants and offer social and economic opportunities. Thus, reconnecting food production and cities offers promising potential. The diffusion of urban farming reflects a rising awareness of how food and farming can shape our cities. A growing number of urban farming projects exist in and on urban buildings, including open rooftop farms, rooftop greenhouses and indoor farming. These projects are characterized by the non-use of land or acreage for farming activities. We use the term ‘Zero-Acreage Farming’ (ZFarming) to represent these farms. The objective of this paper is to: (1) illustrate and systemize present practices of ZFarming and (2) discuss specific novelties of ZFarming in the wider context of urban agriculture. We analyzed 73 ZFarms in cities of North America, Asia, Australia and Europe using a set of criteria, and developed a typology of ZFarming, complemented by in-depth interviews with pioneers in rooftop farming in New York. The results illustrate that ZFarming generates innovative practices that may contribute to a sustainable urban agriculture. Besides growing food, it produces a range of non-food and non-market goods. It involves new opportunities for resource efficiency, new farming technologies, specific implementation processes and networks, new patterns of food supply and new urban spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recovering energy from exhaust air systems of building cooling towers is an innovative idea. A specific wind turbine generator was designed in order to achieve this goal. This device consists of two Giromill vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) combined with four guide vanes and two diffuser plates. It was clear from previous literatures that no comprehensive flow behavior study had been carried out on this innovative device. Therefore, the working principle of this design was simulated using the Analysis System (ANSYS) Fluent computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package and the results were compared to experimental ones. It was perceived from the results that by introducing the diffusers and then the guide vanes, the overall power output of the wind turbine was improved by approximately 5% and 34%, respectively, compared to using VAWT alone. In the case of the diffusers, the optimum angle was found to be 7°, while for guide vanes A and B, it was 70° and 60° respectively. These results were in good agreement with experimental results obtained in the previous experimental study. Overall, it can be concluded that exhaust air recovery turbines are a promising form of green technology.

A new single-axis solar tracking device is designed and explored, which is able to lift and lower the photovoltaic panels. The photovoltaic panels can be tilted to east-west directions in the process of tracking the sun. In windy weather, the solar panels can be placed close to horizontal rail by using stent, which can minimize the frontal area. What's more, the mechanical strength of this device is better than traditional single-axis solar tracking system, so as to enhance wind resistance in windy weather. The device in this paper is suitable for PV power plants on building roofs because it can meet the strict requirements of wind resistance capacity and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bedingt durch die Einspeisetarife des erneuerbare Energien Gesetzes (EEG) war die Realisierung von Photovoltaikanlagen auf und an Gebäuden eher ein von Investoren betriebenes Geschäft. Mit dem deutlichen Rückgang der Systempreise in den zurückliegenden Jahren gewinnt der Eigenverbrauch des erzeugten Solarstroms zunehmend an Bedeutung. Photovoltaikanlagen können in herkömmlicher Weise an der Außenhülle von Gebäuden befestigt werden oder als Teil der Bauwerkshülle eingesetzt werden. In beiden Anwendungsfällen können dabei auch bauphysikalische Aspekte wie Beschattung und Blendschutz übernommen werden. In integrierter Form ergeben sich interessante wirtschaftliche Aspekte, da die Kosten der kompensierten Außenhülle entfallen. Functional or building-integrated photovoltaic façade elements. Due to the feed-in-tariffs according to the Renewable Energy Source Act, the realization of solar plants on buildings or at buildings used to be mainly a business for investors. As the system prices kept falling significantly in the last few years, self-consumption of solar power is getting increasingly important. Solar plants can be fastened to the building envelope in the usual way, or can also be used as a part of the building envelope. In both cases of application, solar plants can also fulfill structural-physical tasks like shading and glare shielding. With building-integrated solar plants, there are interesting economic aspects, as the solar plant lowers the costs of the building envelope by replacing a part of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Solar potential and energy consumption of multistory buildings is investigated. [•] Integration of PV panels in façades is considered due to the reduced roof surface per dwelling unit. [•] Apartment buildings are more energy efficient for heating and cooling than single houses. [•] With optimal roof design, a building of three stories can reach a net-zero energy status. [•] Above three floors, facades should be exploited to enhance energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the photovoltaic (PV) scientific community started exploring innovative ways of incorporating solar electricity into buildings, a whole new vernacular of solar electric architecture emerged. Currently, there is a growing consensus that building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) systems will be the backbone of the zero energy building (ZEB) European target by 2020, through their widespread commercialization. BIPV systems often produce however less energy than conventional PV systems due to architectural constraints in the design of BIPV arrays. This paper presents a conceptual study regarding the energy yield and feasibility of BIPVs in several locations in Europe. Specific conclusions on the energy yield and economic feasibility of BIPVs with regard to the implemented PV module technology, the climatic zone, the orientation of the building and the mounting disposition are drawn. The findings of this work that were also validated using hourly time step computational analysis, reveal the necessary conditions under which BIPVs could have a major contribution to fulfilling the European 2020 targets by enabling the achievement of the ZEB goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Recently, installation of photovoltaic power systems such as building-integrated photovoltaic in urban area has been spotlighted in renewable energy engineering field, even at the expense of the performance degradation from partial shading. The efficiency degradation of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) performance can be compensated by a kind of power-conditioning system architecture such as module-integrated converters (MIC), which can handle the optimal-operation tracking for its own photovoltaic (PV) module. In case of a MIC with series-connected outputs, it is easy to obtain a high DC-link voltage for multiple stage PV power conditioning applications. However, switching ripple of the DC-link voltage also increases as number of the modules increases. In this paper, as a solution for the ripple reduction, interleaved pulse width modulation-phase synchronizing method is applied to the PV MIC modules. The switching-ripple analysis of the MPPT power modules were performed and compared between the cases such as phase control or not. For the implementation of the phase control among the modules, Zigbee (XBee Pro, Digi International, Minnetonka, MN, USA) wireless communications transceiver and DSP (TMS320F28335, Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX, USA) series communications interface are utilized. Hardware prototype of the double-module boost-type 80-W MICs has been built to validate the DC-link voltage ripple reduction. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nachhaltigkeit und Ressourcenschonung sind bei Errichtung und Betrieb von Industrie- und Gewerbebauten zu beachten. Im Vergleich zum Geschoss- und Wohnungsbau ist ihr Einfluss durchaus von Bedeutung, weshalb im Projekt 'Mehrdimensional energieoptimierte Gebäudehüllen in Stahlleichtbauweise für den Industrie- und Gewerbebau' (P 880) Potentiale und Entwicklungskorridore untersucht und erschlossen werden. Es sollen dabei nicht nur Möglichkeiten der Reduktion von Ressourcen- und Energieverbräuchen erforscht, sondern auch Chancen zur aktiven Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien auf Bauteilebene aufgezeigt werden. Die Optimierung von Gebäudehüllen wird in mehreren Dimensionen betrachtet. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden auszugsweise einige der bisher erzielten Ergebnisse vorgestellt und erläutert. Daneben wird das weitere Vorgehen kurz umrissen und auf Problemstellungen hingewiesen. Multidimensional energy-optimized building envelopes in steel-lightweight construction for industrial and commercial buildings. In the erecting and operating of industrial and commercial constructions sustainability and conversation of resources must be considered. Compared with multi-story and residential buildings the influence is of matter. Within the research project P 880 'Mehrdimensional energieoptimierte Gebäudehüllen in Stahlleichtbauweise für den Industrie- und Gewerbebau' referring to this potentials and development corridors should be investigated and made accessible. Not even the opportunities of reducing the resource and energy consumption will be explored, but also odds for the active use of regenerative energy on a building element level will be pointed out. Therefore, the way how to consider energy-saving building-skins is multi-dimensional, or in other words, passive and active. The following article will present and explain some of the achieved results. Moreover the next steps will be defined and further problems will be outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The Solaire Building has the first façade building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) array in New York City. This paper presents the life cycle impacts of the Solaire BIPV and extrapolates its performance to other façade systems. Engineering diagrams, detailed material inventories and 5 years of irradiation and actual performance data in 15-min intervals offer insights into current BIPV construction and performance. The Solaire BIPV employs waste-stream monocrystalline silicon wafers. Correspondingly, zero energy input was allocated to this BIPV from wafer production, resulting to a very low energy payback time (EPBT) and global warming potential burden (0.8 years and −10.2 g CO2/kWh, respectively). A negative EPBT results from subtracting the impact of the thermally and structurally equivalent concrete and brick wall that the BIPV array replaced. Data from current photovoltaic-dedicated Si wafer supply were also used; these resulted with an EPBT of 3.8 years and a global warming potential of 61 g CO2/kWh. The performance ratio and EPBT of the Solaire system were compared with those in the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Task 2 inventory database. The drawback of façade BIPV is its vertical orientation, receiving lower incident irradiation than rooftop and ground installations. Nevertheless, BIPV offers two main advantages over such installations: it does not require any 'virgin' land for its operation, and it replaces structural units, thus avoiding the cost, embodied energy and corresponding emissions related to those. We detail herein how the replacement of traditional cladding materials can offset the performance drawback of BIPV, in terms of environmental burden and EPBT. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Earlier studies have shown that the thermal efficiency of a solar thermal collector is influenced by the quality of coolant flow distribution within the array. The quality of flow distribution within a header/riser type fluid network is influenced by a number of parameters including the coolant mass flow rate, the direction of flow in the manifolds, and most importantly the geometry of the array. As a building integrated photovoltaic thermal (BIPVT) collector will be a made to measure product, meaning its dimensions will be dictated by the specific roofing and energy requirements of the customer, the issue of flow distribution and its effect on both thermal and photovoltaic performance raises some concern. In order to quantify the detrimental effect flow distribution may have on the photovoltaic output of a BIPVT array, a numerical approach was presented by authors in earlier work where factors known to influence flow distribution were varied. The authors demonstrated that photovoltaic output may be severely hindered if the issue of flow distribution is not adequately addressed. In this new study we use this numerical method to additionally show that photovoltaic output is not always improved by reducing the fin width W (by increasing the number of risers for each module) despite the theoretical rise in fin efficiency F as a consequence of flow distribution. Under certain scenarios it was shown that a single riser will in fact improve PV output and also reduce system installation cost and complexity. The combination of these new finding and results previously obtained by the authors highlights the need in selecting the optimal design parameters to meet the specific requirements of each installation. The numerical approach carried out to calculate PV output however was time consuming and computationally intensive and therefore not feasible to perform for each and every customer. To address this issue, the authors have proposed in this paper to train an artificial neural network which can be used to approximate the photovoltaic yield of an array of specified shape operating under parallelreverse flow in the manifolds and also with one or two fluid channels cooling each string of cells. By approximating the yield for each scenario, the optimal configuration can then be chosen. It was found that the neural network can be successfully trained for this specific application offering a fast alternative to the original numerical approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The phenomenon of non-uniform flow distribution and its influence on thermal performance within a traditional solar thermal collector is well known. Its effect on the photovoltaic conversion of a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collector however has received little attention. In this study an investigation has been carried out to determine what effect flow distribution will have on the photovoltaic yield of a BIPV/T collector of various size. A three step numerical analysis was conducted to model flow distribution, temperature variation, and photovoltaic yield for a PV/T collector of various design (manifold sizes), geometric shape (aspect ratio), and operating characteristics (mass flow rate and flow direction in manifolds) in order to vary flow uniformity within the collector. The results revealed that flow distribution within the collector will have a significant influence on the photovoltaic performance of a hybrid PV/T collector. For the scenario where flow distribution was most uniform, photovoltaic performance was improved by over 9% in comparison to a traditional photovoltaic (PV) collector operating under the same conditions. For poor flow however, performance was only improved by approximately 2%. Parameters found to influence flow distribution include the manifold to riser pipe ratio where a ratio of 4:1 was found to be ideal and that increasing to a 6:1 ratio offered negligible improvement. Additionally it was found that array geometry (characterised by its aspect ratio in this study) plays an important role on both flow distribution and photovoltaic yield. This study has identified that the optimal mass flow rate is dependent on the shape or aspect ratio of the array. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Many limitations such as the strict dependence on beam irradiation and difficulties for wiring remain in conventional remote daylighting devices. This paper provides a brief discussion on the working theory and limitations for those conventional devices and presents a new concept developed by the first author for remote indoor daylighting. Based on the developed concept, a new device was designed and fabricated accordingly, which is an optical fiber solar concentrator consisting of a PMMA plate and 150 pieces of three-color 1m long Φ2mm fluorescent fibers. This new device is mounted on a university building roof and the concentrated light is transported to a remote dark room through 10m long Φ2mm clear optical fibers. Outdoor testing and evaluations for remote indoor daylighting and power production have been conducted. A 6-month monitored data from 24th May 2008 to 23rd Nov 2008 has been presented and the results reveal this new device a pleasant potential in remote indoor daylighting for large amount application in building integration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Photovoltaic (PV) panels can experience undesirably high temperatures due to the heat input by that part of the absorbed solar radiation which is not converted into electricity. Regulation of the temperature rise is necessary to maintain maximum solar to electric conversion. One approach for temperature regulation, suitable for rooftop integrated PV, involves fitting an open channel beneath the PV module. The panels are cooled by radiation and free convection as ambient air rises through the channel. A scale analysis and numerical study of PV modules with a back mounted air channel provides heat transfer rates over a practical range of operating conditions and channel geometries. A generalized correlation for the average channel Nusselt number for the combined convective–radiative cooling is developed for modified channel Rayleigh numbers from 102 to 108, channel aspect ratios between 15 and 50 and inclination angles between 30° and 90°. The usefulness of a passive cooling channel to improve PV efficiency is illustrated by system analyses of typical PV modules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Active building envelope (ABE) systems are a new enclosure technology which integrate photovoltaic (PV) and thermoelectric (TE) technologies. In ABE systems, a PV system supplies electrical power to a TE heat-pump system, which can transfer heat in one direction or another depending on the direction of the current. Both the TE and PV systems are integrated into one enclosure surface. Hence, ABE systems have the ability to actively control the flow of heat across their surface when exposed to solar radiation. Applications for this technology include all types of enclosures that require cooling or heating, such as building enclosures. At this stage of our study, we are developing various ABE system prototypes by using commercially available PV and TE technologies. In this study, two types of commercial available TE modules are studied for their potential application in an ABE prototype window system. We have performed various experiments to determine the coefficient of performance for these TE modules when operating under different voltage regimes, and have tested different electrical connection diagrams. Based upon the measured data, and results based on the computational models of a TE system, the most suitable type of TE modules, the voltage and current, and the preferable connection diagrams are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• It summarizes the building integrated solar concentrating systems according to different functions. • It introduces the demands, types, applications and structures of the building integrated solar concentrating systems. • It presents prospects/directions/policies around the world towards the building integrated solar concentrating systems. In the building sector, concerns towards the vast energy consumption has promoted the development of renewable energy technologies. In this regards, the solar concentration devices show a promising concept for building applications. However, the solar concentrators for application in buildings have many restrictions, which are different from the traditional solar concentrators. The main objective of this paper is to present a concise review on the building integrated concentrating devices, that have their own characteristics and multiple functions. This paper made a classification based on device's functions, i.e. building integrated concentrated photovoltaic systems (BICPV), building integrated concentrating solar thermal (BICST) and building integrated concentrating solar daylighting (BICSD) and the combination of functions, i.e. BICPV/T, BICPV/D, BICST/D and BICPV/T/D. At the same time, this paper presented an elaborate introduction of the demands, types and applications of the building integrated concentrating devices and prospects/ directions/ policies about these technologies around the world. The review would provide important information for the actual engineering of building integrated concentrating devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low concentrator photovoltaic is presented and the optical losses within a double glazed window assembly are described. The use of plastic instead of glass is analyzed for its reduced weight and hence greater power to weight ratios. Although the transmittance of glass is higher, the power to weight ratio of the plastic devices was almost double that of the glass counterparts and even higher than the original non concentrating silicon cell. The plastic Topas material was found to be the best performing material overall. Crystal Clear, a plastic resin, had a higher average transmittance but had a lower optical efficiency due to the cold cast manufacturing process in comparison to injection moulding of the other materials. This proves the importance of considering both the materials and their associated manufacturing quality. External quantum efficiencies, optical properties, silicon cell temperatures and performance is analyzed for concentrating photovoltaic devices made of varying optical materials. The measurement methods for optical analysis are given in an attempt to separate the optical losses experimentally. The Silicon cells were found to gain higher temperatures due to the insulating plastic optics in comparison to glass but these effects are eliminated during vertical window orientation where instead the encapsulate dominates the insulation of the cell. The results presented here prove plastic optics to be a worthwhile alternative to glass for use in low concentration photovoltaic systems and have the significant effect of reversing the weight disadvantage concentrator photovoltaic technology has compared to standard flat plate solar panels. • New options for plastic materials, manufacturing processes and antireflection coatings are presented. • Practical methods for ascertaining the optical losses of manufactured optics are described. • Topas is the most suitable plastic material for refractive LCPV optics and gave the highest performance. • The Topas CPV prototype had a higher power to weight ratio than the flat plate Silicon cells used for comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]