Manufacturing of a Novel Micro-Concentrator Prototype and Assessment of its Electrical Performances

Concentrator photovoltaics is a promising solution to power space missions at a low cost and also for deep missions. Micro-concentration allows to increase the specific power of the concentrator, reducing its mass and weight compared to standard concentration. This work presents the manufacturing process of the first prototype of a highly integrated micro-concentrator design. Manufacturing tolerances are characterized and the associated optical losses are assessed. The specific power is estimated to 328–390 W/m
²
. A first electrical characterization of a prototype with one solar cell is presented. A solar conversion efficiency of 21% was reached with outdoor measurements.