A fast and effective procedure for the optical efficiency determination of luminescent solar concentrators

We introduce a new method for the prompt and effective evaluation of the optical efficiency of different sets of luminescent solar concentrators (LSC) based on dye-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) thin films. The procedure founded on the realization of a home-build apparatus (PeryRoom), which allowed for a fast and reliable measurement of the generated photocurrents profiting of the use of a photodiods system. The photocurrents were analyzed by means of a simple model inspired by the work of Goetzberger and Greube (1977) and rationalized in terms of different dye characteristics and film thickness. The procedure was eventually validated by comparing the optical efficiencies measured by using a Si-based photovoltaic module. Overall, the present results support the use of PeryRoom for the optimization of the current state-of-art LSC systems.