Southwest Solar Technologies Inc. has entered into a new collaboration agreement that the company expects will drive the commercialization of its concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power technology.
The company has signed a joint development agreement with MaxQ Power Conversion LLC, an affiliate of Tempe, Ariz.-based MaxQ Technology LLC.
Under the agreement, the parties will cooperate to develop and manufacture Southwest Solar's patent-pending dense array CPV module. The module packages numerous multi-junction photovoltaic cells into a compact, high-concentration solar power generation module where a solar concentration ratio of 1,200 times is achieved, the company claims.
The product's design incorporates a solar flux management capability that enables nonuniform light intensity to be used. This design makes it possible to use the CPV product with either dish or heliostat collectors designed for concentrated solar power, Southwest Solar adds.
