Performance of grid-connected conventional flat-plate and concentrator photovoltaic systems in Japan

The purpose of this study is to investigate concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) system performance. The performance of the CPV system depends on the climate and the environment condition more than the conventional flat-plate photovoltaic (PV) system. Moreover, the characteristic due to the angle of incidence (AOI) solar irradiance is extremely important. Therefore, the grid-connected PV and CPV systems installed in Japan are investigated to clarify these performance issues in this paper. The performance analysis results including performance ratio and alignment and tracking error data from one year of operation are presented and discussed.