Fluorescent planar collector-concentrators: A review

Abstract Fluorescent planar collector-concentrators are a new idea for the conversion of solar energy into electrical and thermal energy. The collection and concentration of direct and diffuse radiation is possible by using a stack of transparent sheets of material doped with fluorescent dyes. In combination with photovoltaic cells this type of collector offers the advantage of separating the various wavelengths of light and converting them using solar cells with different band gaps. Theoretical models of the system, the efficiency, the real collector properties and the experimental results are reviewed.