University of California, San Diego
IN-4: Innovation 4

Soitec Concentrating PV Systems: UC San Diego installed two Siotec concentrating photovoltaic (PV) systems that outperform the standard photovoltaic system by utilizing special Fresnel lenses to concentrate sunlight onto smaller and more efficient photovoltaic modules to generate electricity. Siotec has established a manufacturing facility in Rancho Bernardo (which is within San Diego county) to produce concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules for the United States partially due to the success of the UC San Diego Soitec demonstration system. Unlike standard silicon PV systems, Soitec’s Concentrix technology utilizes highly efficient CPV modules that combine to form arrays used to create rotating sun-tracking panels that follow the sun’s rays and maximize energy production. The successful integration of the state of the art 22kW CPV systems is due largely in part of the collaboration between Soitec and the UC San Diego Rady School of Management’s “Lab to Market” program which first introduced the 5.5kW prototype CPV system to the UC San Diego campus. “Bringing Soitec’s solar manufacturing business here has been an example of successful collaboration between the city, the nonprofit CleanTECH San Diego, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, SDG&E and the University of California, San Diego,” According to Mike Armstrong, business development manager of Soitec’s solar energy division, Soitec plans to continue their collaboration with UC San Diego to “devise a pathway to more fully integrate energy storage” with innovative CPV systems.