Achievement

Mr. Kerzmann has been in the process of developing a system simulation for a Linear Concentrating Photovoltaic (LCPV) system using high efficiency GaAs/GaInP/Ge multijunction cells. The simulation includes a cell cooling/waste heat recovery component that cools the cells using an active water pumping system while the embodied heat is then used as a hot water storage preheat. The simulation was coded using Engineering Equation Solver and has been in development since 2008. Mr. Kerzmann completed the coding of the simulation and this led to a wealth of new simulation testing possibilities. Three major areas of simulation were researched; the energy, global warming potential and economic perspectives of the LCPV system under Phoenix, Arizona conditions. Along with the system simulation of the LCPV system, Mr. Kerzmann has also been developing a life cycle cssessment (LCA) of the LCPV system to analyze the components of the LCPV system that have the highest environmental impacts.