Patent Publication Number: US-2011048497-A1

Title: Concentrating solar power generation unit and method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a concentrating solar power generation unit that includes a concentrating lens panel in which a plurality of concentrating lenses are arranged, and a method for manufacturing such a concentrating solar power generation unit. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     While solar power generation apparatuses (solar power generation units) that convert solar energy into electric power are in practical use, in order to achieve a cost reduction and obtain a large amount of electric power, concentrating solar power generation apparatuses (concentrating solar power generation units) that provide electric power by irradiating solar cell elements (solar cells) having a light-receiving area smaller than that of concentrating lenses with sunlight concentrated by the concentrating lenses are coming into practical use. 
     Because a concentrating solar power generation apparatus concentrates sunlight with the concentrating lenses and irradiates the solar cell elements with the sunlight, the solar cell elements have only a light-receiving area that is small enough to receive the sunlight concentrated by the optical system. In other words, the solar cell elements can be made smaller in size than the light-receiving area of the concentrating lenses, so the size of solar cell elements can be reduced, and the number of solar cell elements in the solar power generation apparatus, which are expensive components, can be reduced, resulting in a cost reduction. With these advantages, concentrating solar power generation apparatuses are coming into use as electric power supplies in regions where a large amount of area can be used for power generation. 
     A concentrating solar power generation apparatus has been proposed that provides sufficient strength, rigidity and heat dissipation properties with a simple configuration in which a solar cell module is attached to a support plate, without causing an increase in weight (see, for example, Patent Document 1). 
     The energy obtained by concentrating light at the light-receiving position is very large, so it is necessary to take heat dissipation measures as measures to prevent damage caused by irradiation of the peripheries of the solar cell elements with light. In addition, concentrating solar power generation apparatuses are often installed in regions where temperature changes are significant, such as deserts, so it is also necessary to take measures against thermal expansion caused by temperature increase. 
     Furthermore, concentrating solar power generation apparatuses, which are intended primarily for outdoor use, are exposed to wind and rain, so it is necessary to take measures to prevent intrusion of water, sand, dust and the like. 
     As a result of taking these measures, in the concentrating solar power generation apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the heat dissipation structure, or in other words, the assembly structure has become complicated and large, which makes it, for example, difficult to perform positioning between solar cells and concentrating lenses, making the production process complicated. In other words, Patent Document 1 is problematic in terms of mass productivity, light concentrating accuracy (light concentrating properties) and the like. 
     When there is a problem with light concentrating properties, such as concentrated sunlight being deviated to a position away from the solar cell elements, the heat accumulating effect of the concentrated sunlight heats the solar cell module to high temperatures, which may cause problems in terms of heat resistance and reliability such as reducing the photoelectric conversion efficiency. 
     In addition, the water from rain and fog, sand, dust and the like entering from between concentrating lenses and a lens frame that holds the concentrating lenses may dirty the concentrating lenses and reduce the photoelectric conversion efficiency, which may cause problems in reliability. 
     Considering this background, there is a demand for a highly reliable concentrating solar power generation apparatus (concentrating solar power generation unit) that reliably provides power from concentrated sunlight with a structure that prevents intrusion of rain, water, sand, and the like, as well as a demand for a method for manufacturing such concentrating solar power generation apparatuses with good productivity in which the positioning of concentrating lenses (adjustment of positional relationship between solar cell elements and an optical system), the positioning of a lens assembly (light transmitting panel substrate) in which concentrating lenses are arranged, can be performed with high accuracy with a simple operation. 
     [Patent Document 1] JP H11-284217A 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Problems to be Solved by the Invention 
     The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a concentrating solar power generation unit that is capable of easily and highly accurately positioning concentrating lenses and solar cells and that has superior light concentrating properties and heat resistance. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit, with which it is possible to manufacture such concentrating solar power generation units with good productivity and low cost. 
     Means for solving the Problems 
     A concentrating solar power generation unit according to the present invention is a concentrating solar power generation unit including: a concentrating lens panel in which a plurality of concentrating lenses are arranged on a rectangular light transmitting panel substrate; a solar cell mounting plate in which solar cells are mounted in correspondence with the concentrating lenses; and a first direction side supporting wall that extends in a direction intersecting the solar cell mounting plate and that supports a first direction side of the light transmitting panel substrate, wherein a panel positioning portion that defines a position of the concentrating lens panel is formed in the first direction side, and a positioning portion-engagement portion with which the panel positioning portion is engaged is formed in an upper portion of the first direction side supporting wall. 
     With this configuration, because the concentrating lens panel is positioned to the first direction side supporting wall with high accuracy by engaging the panel positioning portion and the positioning portion-engagement portion with each other, the concentrating lenses and the solar cells can be positioned easily and highly accurately, and therefore it is possible to obtain a concentrating solar power generation unit that has superior light concentrating properties and heat resistance. 
     In the above configuration, it is preferable that a reference positioning aperture is formed in the first direction side, and the panel positioning portion is formed covering the reference positioning aperture. 
     With this configuration, because the reference positioning aperture is formed in the first direction side, the panel positioning portion can be formed with respect to the reference positioning aperture, and therefore positioning accuracy can be achieved easily. 
     A concentrating solar power generation unit according to another aspect of the present invention is a concentrating solar power generation unit including: a concentrating lens panel in which a plurality of concentrating lenses are arranged on a rectangular light transmitting panel substrate; a solar cell mounting plate in which solar cells are mounted in correspondence with the concentrating lenses; and a first direction side supporting wall that extends in a direction intersecting the solar cell mounting plate and that supports a first direction side of the light transmitting panel substrate, wherein the concentrating solar power generation unit comprises a first direction side frame portion that is formed covering a perimeter edge of the first direction side, and the first direction side frame portion is provided with a panel positioning portion. 
     In this configuration, it is preferable that a frame insertion groove is provided that is formed in an upper portion of the first direction side supporting wall and in which the first direction side frame portion is inserted, and a positioning portion - engagement portion is formed in the frame insertion groove. 
     In this configuration as well, because the concentrating lens panel is positioned to the first direction side supporting wall with high accuracy by engaging the panel positioning portion and the positioning portion-engagement portion with each other, the concentrating lenses and the solar cells can be positioned easily and highly accurately, and therefore it is possible to obtain a concentrating solar power generation unit that has superior light concentrating properties and heat resistance. 
     With the concentrating solar power generation unit of the present invention, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the first direction side frame portion is in intimate contact with the frame insertion groove in a thickness direction of the first direction side frame portion. 
     With this configuration, because the frame insertion groove is hermetically sealed with the first direction side frame portion, and therefore the solar cells can be shielded from the external environment (rain, sand dust, and the like), the influence of the external environment can be eliminated, and weather resistance as well as reliability can be improved. 
     With the concentrating solar power generation unit of the present invention, in the above configuration, the first direction side frame portion and the concentrating lenses may be made of the same resin. 
     With this configuration, because it is possible to simultaneously form the concentrating lenses and the panel positioning portions and define their positional relationship with high accuracy, the positional relationship between the concentrating lenses and the solar cells can be defined easily and highly accurately, and the light concentrating properties can be further improved. 
     In the above configuration, it is preferable that the concentrating solar power generation unit of the present invention includes: a second direction side frame portion that is formed covering a perimeter edge of a second direction side that intersects the first direction side in the light transmitting panel substrate; and a second direction side supporting wall that extends in a direction intersecting the solar cell mounting plate and that supports the second direction side frame portion. 
     With this configuration, because all sides of the concentrating lens panel are supported and stabilized, it is possible to dispose a large number of concentrating lenses on the concentrating lens panel, and therefore a concentrating solar power generation unit can be obtained with good productivity and low cost. 
     With the concentrating solar power generation unit of the present invention, in the above configuration, the first direction side frame portion and the second direction side frame portion may be integrally molded. 
     With this configuration, the second direction side frame portion can be formed easily and highly accurately with good productivity and low cost. 
     In addition, a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit including: a concentrating lens panel in which a plurality of concentrating lenses are arranged on a rectangular light transmitting panel substrate; a solar cell mounting plate in which solar cells are mounted in correspondence with the concentrating lenses; and a first direction side supporting wall that extends in a direction intersecting the solar cell mounting plate and that supports a first direction side of the light transmitting panel substrate, the method including steps of forming a panel positioning portion that defines a position of the concentrating lens panel in the first direction side, and forming a positioning portion-engagement portion with which the panel positioning portion is engaged in an upper portion of the first direction side supporting wall. 
     A method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit according to another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit including: a concentrating lens panel in which a plurality of concentrating lenses are arranged on a rectangular light transmitting panel substrate; a solar cell mounting plate in which solar cells are mounted in correspondence with the concentrating lenses; and a first direction side supporting wall that extends in a direction intersecting the solar cell mounting plate and that supports a first direction side of the light transmitting panel substrate, the method including: a frame portion forming step of forming a first direction side frame portion that covers a perimeter edge of the first direction side and a panel positioning portion that defines a position of the concentrating lens panel; and a lens panel connecting step of connecting the concentrating lens panel to the first direction side supporting wall by inserting the first direction side frame portion to a frame insertion groove that is disposed in an upper portion of the first direction side supporting wall and that is provided with a positioning portion-engagement portion with which the panel positioning portion is engaged, and engaging the panel positioning portion with the positioning portion-engagement portion. 
     With this configuration, because the concentrating lens panel is positioned to the first direction side supporting wall easily and highly accurately by engaging the panel positioning portion and the positioning portion-engagement portion with each other, the concentrating lenses and the solar cells can be positioned easily and highly accurately, and therefore it is possible to manufacture concentrating solar power generation units that have superior light concentrating properties and heat resistance with good productivity and low cost. 
     With the method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit of the present invention, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the frame portion forming step includes: a panel substrate placing step of placing the light transmitting panel substrate on a die; a lens resin injecting step of injecting a lens forming resin that forms the concentrating lenses on the light transmitting panel substrate into the die; a frame resin injecting step of injecting a frame portion forming resin that forms the first direction side frame portion into the die; and a resin curing step of curing the lens forming resin and the frame portion forming resin that have been injected into the die. 
     With this configuration, the concentrating lenses and the first direction side frame portions can be integrally formed with the concentrating lens panel, and therefore the concentrating lenses and the first direction side frame portions can be formed easily and highly accurately. 
     With the method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit of the present invention, in the above configuration, the lens forming resin and the frame portion forming resin are the same resin, and the lens resin injecting step and the frame resin injecting step are performed as a simultaneous resin injecting step of simultaneously injecting the same resin. 
     With this configuration, the concentrating lenses and the first direction side frame portions can be formed easily at low cost. 
     Effects of the Invention 
     With the concentrating solar power generation unit of the present invention, because the concentrating lens panel is positioned to the first direction side supporting wall with high accuracy by engaging the panel positioning portion and the positioning portion - engagement portion with each other, it is possible to position a concentrating lens and a solar cell with ease and high accuracy and provide superior light concentrating properties and heat resistance. 
     In addition, according to the method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit of the present invention, it is possible to manufacture concentrating solar power generation units of the present invention with good productivity and low cost. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a concentrating solar power generation unit, partially exploded so as to show a lens panel connecting step of a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 2  show enlarged explanatory diagrams of a panel positioning portion and a positioning portion-engagement portion of the concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, with  FIG. 2(A)  being an enlarged plan view as viewed from the sunlight incident side and  FIG. 2(B)  being an enlarged cross sectional view showing a cross section taken along the direction B-B of  FIG. 2(A) . 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a first direction side frame portion formed in a light transmitting panel substrate of the concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view showing a plane configuration of a concentrating lens panel of the concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a partially exploded perspective view of a concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view showing an arrangement of a die and a light transmitting panel substrate during a frame resin injecting step of a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 7  show enlarged cross sections of the arrangement of a die and a light transmitting panel substrate shown in  FIG. 6 , with  FIG. 7(A)  being an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of  FIG. 6 , and  FIG. 7(B)  being an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a plan view showing an arrangement of a die and a light transmitting panel substrate during a frame resin injecting step of a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the arrangement of a die and a light transmitting panel substrate shown in  FIG. 8  taken along the line Y-Y. 
         FIG. 10  is a plan view showing a plane configuration of a concentrating lens panel of a concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a partial plan view showing a relevant part of the concentrating lens panel of the concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the arrangement of a die and a light transmitting panel substrate according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention shown in  FIG. 10 , taken along the line Z-Z of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIGS. 13  are diagrams used to illustrate a panel positioning portion of the concentrating lens panel of the concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention, with 
         FIG. 13(A)  being a diagram showing a panel positioning portion and  FIG. 13(B)  being a diagram showing the panel fixed to a first direction side. 
         FIG. 14  is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an arrangement of a die and a light transmitting panel substrate according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. 
         FIG. 15  is a partial plan view showing a relevant part of a concentrating lens panel of a concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. 
         FIG. 16  is a diagram used to illustrate a reference positioning aperture of the concentrating lens panel of the concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. 
         FIG. 17  is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an arrangement of a die and a light transmitting panel substrate according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 18  are diagrams used to illustrate a panel positioning portion of the concentrating lens panel of the concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention, with 
         FIG. 18(A)  being a diagram showing a panel positioning portion and  FIG. 18(B)  being a diagram showing the panel fixed to a first direction side. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
       1  Concentrating Solar Power Generation Unit 
       1   m  Concentrating Solar Power Generation Unit 
       10  Concentrating Lens Panel 
       11  Light Transmitting Panel Substrate 
       11   a  Reference Positioning Aperture 
       11 A Positioning Aperture 
       12  Concentrating Lens 
       13  First Direction Side 
       13 P Pin 
       14  First Direction Side Frame Portion 
       15  Panel Positioning Portion 
       15 P Pin 
       15 A Pin 
       16  Second Direction Side 
       17  Second Direction Side Frame Portion 
       20  Solar Cell 
       21  Solar Cell Mounting Plate 
       30  Elongated Frame 
       31  Bottom Plate 
       32  First Direction Side Supporting Wall 
       33  Frame Insertion Groove 
       34  Positioning Portion-Engagement Portion 
       40  Second Direction Side Supporting Wall 
       50  Die 
       50   b  Frame Forming Portion 
       50   p  Positioning Portion-Forming Portion 
       51  Upper Die 
       51   r  Resin Injection Inlet 
       52  Lower Die 
       52   f  Concentrating Lens Forming Portion 
       52   r  Resin Injection Inlet 
     Dt Thickness Direction 
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 
     Embodiment 1 
     A concentrating solar power generation unit and a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 . 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a concentrating solar power generation unit, partially exploded so as to show a lens panel connecting step of a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 2  show enlarged explanatory diagrams of a panel positioning portion and a positioning portion-engagement portion of the concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, with  FIG. 2(A)  being an enlarged plan view as viewed from the sunlight incident side and  FIG. 2(B)  being an enlarged cross sectional view showing a cross section taken along the direction B-B of  FIG. 2(A) . 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a first direction side frame portion formed in a light transmitting panel substrate of the concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 
     A concentrating solar power generation unit  1  according to the present embodiment includes a concentrating lens panel  10  in which a plurality of concentrating lenses  12  are arranged on a rectangular light transmitting panel substrate  11 , a solar cell mounting plate  21  in which solar cells  20  are mounted corresponding to the concentrating lenses  12 , and a first direction side supporting wall  32 . The first direction side supporting wall  32  extends in a direction intersecting the solar cell mounting plate  21  to support a first direction side  13  of the light transmitting panel substrate  11 . 
     The light transmitting panel substrate  11  is configured to have a rectangular shape, and therefore has a pair of first direction sides  13  that face each other and a pair of second direction sides  16  that face each other in a direction intersecting (perpendicular to) the first direction sides  13 . The light transmitting panel substrate  11  has a function of concentrating light for the solar cells  20  and also functions as a protection member that protects the first direction side supporting walls  32  and the solar cells  20  from the external environment. 
     The pair of first direction side supporting walls  32  that are disposed facing each other in correspondence with the first direction sides  13  are integrally formed with a bottom plate  31 , forming an elongated frame  30 . The solar cell mounting plate  21  is attached to the bottom plate  31  as appropriate. 
     The overall elongated frame  30  is integrally formed including the first direction side supporting walls  32  and the bottom plate  31  by, for example, roll forming a metal plate such as an iron plate, steel plate or the like. By configuring the elongated frame  30  by using a metal plate such as an iron plate or steel plate, it is possible to secure mechanical strength and weather resistance. 
     The bottom plate  31  has sunlight irradiation holes (not shown) formed therein through which sunlight concentrated by the concentrating lenses  12  is directed to the solar cells  20 . In other words, the solar cell mounting plate  21  is disposed on the underside of the bottom plate  31  (outside the elongated frame  30 ) and is configured to prevent damage by the concentrated sunlight. 
     The sunlight concentrated by the concentrating lenses  12  is directed to the solar cells  20  that are arranged in correspondence with to the concentrating lenses  12 , and thereby the concentrating solar power generation unit  1  functions. 
     The light transmitting panel substrate  11  is made of, for example, glass in consideration of the light-transmitting properties, strength, environmental resistance and the like, and thus can eliminate the influence of wind and rain from the surrounding environment. It is also possible to use acrylic resin, polycarbonate or the like, instead of glass. 
     The concentrating lenses  12  can be bonded to the light transmitting panel substrate  11  with, for example, an appropriate adhesive. The concentrating lenses  12  can be made of, for example, acrylic resin in consideration of its processability, light-transmitting properties and the like. It is also possible to use polycarbonate, glass or the like, instead of acrylic resin. In the present embodiment, the light transmitting panel substrate  11  and the concentrating lenses  12  are made of different materials for the sake of convenience in describing the embodiment, but when the light transmitting panel substrate  11  and the concentrating lenses  12  are made of the same material, they can be integrally formed. 
     The concentrating solar power generation unit  1  includes first direction side frame portions  14  each formed covering a perimeter edge of the first direction side  13 , panel positioning portions  15  that are formed in the first direction side frame portions  14  and that define the position of the concentrating lens panel  10 , frame insertion grooves  33  that are each provided in an upper portion of the first direction side supporting walls  32  and into which the first direction side frame portion  14  is inserted, and positioning portion-engagement portions  34  that are each formed in the frame insertion grooves  33  and with which the panel positioning portion  15  is engaged. 
     With the above configuration, the concentrating lens panel  10  is positioned to the first direction side supporting walls  32  with high accuracy by engaging the panel positioning portions  15  and the positioning portion-engagement portions  34  with each other, so that the concentrating lenses  12  (the light transmitting panel substrate  11 ) and the solar cells  20  (the solar cell mounting plate  21 ) can be positioned easily and highly accurately, as a result of which a concentrating solar power generation unit  1  with superior light concentrating properties and heat resistance can be obtained. 
     The first direction side frame portions  14  are brought into intimate contact with the frame insertion grooves  33  in a thickness direction Dt of the first direction side frame portions  14  (see  FIG. 2(B) ). Accordingly, the frame insertion grooves  33  are hermetically sealed with the first direction side frame portions  14 , so that the inside of the elongated frame  30  can be shielded from the external environment such as rain, sand dust and the like, as a result of which the influence of the external environment on the solar cells  20  is eliminated and the contamination of the concentrating lenses  12  and the solar cells  20  is prevented, so weather resistance and reliability can be improved. 
     Because the first direction side frame portions  14  are brought into intimate contact with the frame insertion grooves  33 , the light transmitting panel substrate  11  is fixed to and held by the frame insertion grooves  33  (first direction side supporting walls  32 ) via the first direction side frame portions  14 . 
     In other words, the frame insertion grooves  33  are provided with a U-shape and match the outer shape of the first direction side frame portions  14 , which are formed on the perimeter edges of the first direction sides  13  of the light transmitting panel substrate  11 . Accordingly, the groove width of the frame insertion grooves  33  corresponds to the thickness direction Dt of the first direction side frame portions  14 , and is set to such a size that the first direction side frame portions  14  are fitted without creating a gap. 
     In addition, the first direction side frame portions  14  are configured to have a surface provided with appropriate minute projections  14   s  so as to have appropriate elasticity, thereby improving the slide when inserted into the frame insertion grooves  33 , as well as the intimacy of contact with the frame insertion grooves  33  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     The positioning of the concentrating lenses  12  to the light transmitting panel substrate  11  can be performed directly by bonding, for example, ten concentrating lenses  12  that have been arranged to match the arrangement of the solar cells  20  to the light transmitting panel substrate  11 . Alternatively, as described above, it is also possible to integrally form the light transmitting panel substrate  11  and the concentrating lenses  12 . Accordingly, the concentrating lenses  12  predisposed on the light transmitting panel substrate  11  can be disposed in correspondence with the solar cells predisposed on the solar cell mounting plate  21  with high accuracy. 
     On the other hand, the bottom plate  31  (the solar cells  20  disposed via the solar cell mounting plate  21 ) and the frame insertion grooves  33  (first direction side supporting walls  32 ) can be positioned with high accuracy by the elongated frame  30  that is highly accurately formed by integrating the bottom plate  31  and the first direction side supporting walls  32 . 
     Accordingly, in order to highly accurately position the solar cells  20  and the concentrating lenses  12 , it is necessary to precisely position the light transmitting panel substrate  11  (concentrating lenses  12 ) to the bottom plate  31 , or in other words, the first direction side supporting walls  32  (frame insertion grooves  33 ). 
     However, it is not easy to position the first direction side frame portions  14  corresponding to the first direction sides  13  of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  to the frame insertion grooves  33  of the elongated frame  30 . In other words, a problem with accuracy arises when positioning is performed with respect to the outer perimeter edge of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  because the light transmitting panel substrate  11  holds a large number of concentrating lenses  12  and therefore has a large outer shape. In addition, the positioning of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  with respect to the solar cells  20  disposed on the bottom plate  31  via the solar cell mounting plate  21  is difficult because the distance between the solar cells  20  and the concentrating lenses  12  is large due to the spacing in the direction in which the first direction side supporting walls  32  extend, and thus their positions may appear to be different when viewed together. 
     In order to solve such problems, in the present embodiment, the panel positioning portions  15  are formed in the first direction side frame portions  14  so as to correspond to the center of the concentrating lenses  12  disposed on the light transmitting panel substrate  11 , and the positioning portion-engagement portions  34  are formed in the frame insertion grooves  33  so as to correspond to the solar cells  20  disposed on the solar cell mounting plate  21 . 
     In other words, as a positioning structure of the light transmitting panel substrate  11 , the panel positioning portions  15  that define the position of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  are formed by being integrated with the first direction side frame portions  14  formed covering the perimeter edges of the first direction sides  13  of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  (frame portion forming step). 
     In the frame insertion grooves  33 , positioning portion-engagement portions  34  with which the panel positioning portions  15  are engaged are formed in correspondence with the panel positioning portions  15 . The positioning portion-engagement portions  34  can be formed and highly accurately disposed, matching the position of the solar cells  20  when forming the frame insertion grooves  33  while the integrally-formed elongated frame  30  including a bottom plate  31  and first direction side supporting walls  32  is formed. 
     Accordingly, by inserting the light transmitting panel substrate  11  into the frame insertion grooves  33  and engaging the panel positioning portions  15  with the positioning portion-engagement portions  34  (lens panel connecting step), the positioning between the light transmitting panel substrate  11  (concentrating lenses  12 ) and the frame insertion grooves  33  (the first direction side supporting walls  32  and the bottom plate  31 ) can be carried out with high accuracy. As a result, the positioning of the concentrating lenses  12  and the solar cells  20  can be carried out with ease and high accuracy with a simple operation. 
     As described above, with the concentrating solar power generation unit  1  in which the concentrating lenses  12  and the solar cells  20  are highly accurately positioned, the sunlight concentrated by the concentrating lenses  12  can be precisely directed to the solar cells  20 . In addition, because unnecessary irradiation of sunlight does not occur in an area other than the solar cells  20  within the elongated frame  30 , the concentrating solar power generation unit  1  can have superior light concentrating properties and heat resistance. 
     By configuring the positioning portion-engagement portions  34  to have, for example, a semi-cylindrical shape obtained by cutting a cylinder in half, the light transmitting panel substrate  11  (first direction side frame portions  14 ) can be smoothly inserted into the frame insertion grooves  33  (see  FIG. 2 ). Also, by configuring the panel positioning portions  15  to have, for example, a hollow semi-cylindrical shape obtained by cutting a hollow cylinder in half, the panel positioning portion  15  can be matched and engaged with the positioning portion-engagement portions  34  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     The panel positioning portions  15  having a hollow semi-cylindrical shape have a radius slightly smaller than that of the positioning portion-engagement portions  34  having a semi-cylindrical shape, and therefore, even more accurate positioning is possible. 
     A concentrating solar power generation unit manufacturing method for manufacturing concentrating solar power generation units  1  according to the present embodiment includes: a frame portion forming step of forming first direction side frame portions  14  that cover the perimeter edges of first direction sides  13  and panel positioning portions  15  that define the position of a concentrating lens panel  10  (see Embodiments 3 and 4 and  FIGS. 6 to 9 ); and a lens panel connecting step of connecting the concentrating lens panel  10  to first direction side supporting walls  32  by inserting the first direction side frame portions  14 , in a direction Din, into frame insertion grooves  33  that are disposed in upper portions of the first direction side supporting walls  32  and that include positioning portion-engagement portions  34  with which the panel positioning portions  15  are engaged, and engaging the panel positioning portions  15  with the positioning portion-engagement portions  34 . 
     As described above, the concentrating lens panel  10  is easily and highly accurately positioned to the first direction side supporting walls  32  by engaging the panel positioning portions  15  and the positioning portion-engagement portions  34  with each other, and therefore the concentrating lenses  12  and the solar cells  20  can be positioned easily and highly accurately. As a result, it is possible to manufacture concentrating solar power generation units  1  having superior light concentrating properties and heat resistance with good productivity and low cost. 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view showing a plane configuration of the concentrating lens panel of the concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 
     The concentrating lens panel  10  shown in  FIG. 1  includes a rectangular light transmitting panel substrate  11  that is defined by first direction sides  13  (lengthwise direction/long sides) and second direction sides  16  (widthwise direction/short sides) that intersect each other, and further includes a plurality of concentrating lenses  12  that are disposed on a side of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  that faces solar cells  20 , first direction side frame portions  14  that are formed on the perimeter edges of the first direction sides  13  and that protect the perimeter edges, and panel positioning portions  15  that are formed in a part of the first direction side frame portions  14  so as to correspond to the concentrating lens panel  10  (the center position of the concentrating lenses  12 ). 
     It is preferable that the concentrating lenses  12  are arranged in at least two rows on the light transmitting panel substrate  11 . With this configuration, the panel positioning portions  15  can be disposed at a position where a straight line (e.g., reference line X-X) connecting the centers of the concentrating lenses  12  arranged in respective rows intersects the first direction side frame portions  14  formed in the light transmitting panel substrate  11 , and therefore the position of the panel positioning portions  15  can be determined with high accuracy. 
     As described above, the panel positioning portions  15  are positioned with respect to the center of the concentrating lenses  12  that are predisposed on the light transmitting panel substrate  11  corresponding to the solar cells  20 , and therefore the positioning accuracy of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  (concentrating lenses  12 ) to the solar cells  20  can be reliably improved. 
     In addition, because the center of the concentrating lenses  12  that is located at the center in the lengthwise direction of a plurality of (e.g., ten) concentrating lenses  12  is set as the reference point, the influence of stretches (displacement) due to thermal expansion of the light transmitting panel substrate  11 , the elongated frame  30  and the solar cell mounting plate  21  that occur in both edges in the lengthwise direction of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  can be minimized, and therefore the heat resistance and the power generation efficiency can be improved. 
     It is preferable that each row including concentrating lenses  12  includes an odd number of concentrating lenses  12 . With this configuration, the positioning of the panel positioning portions  15  can be performed easily and highly accurately by using the center line (reference line X-X) connecting two centers of the concentrating lenses that are located at the centers of the rows. 
     As described above, because the panel positioning portions  15  each can be disposed in correspondence with the center of the concentrating lenses  12  that is positioned at the center of the row, the position of the panel positioning portions  15  can be determined with respect to the edges of the rows with good balance and high accuracy, and therefore the influence of displacement at the edges of the rows due to thermal expansion can be minimized. 
     In addition, because the center of the concentrating lenses  12  that are arranged in two rows so as to correspond to the second direction sides  16  (widthwise direction) of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  is set as the reference point, two panel positioning portions  15  that are disposed in the lengthwise direction of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  can be reliably positioned with high accuracy. 
     With the method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit  1  of the present embodiment, for an elongated frame  30  (a bottom plate  31 , first direction side supporting walls  32 ), a solar cell mounting plate  21  in which a plurality of solar cells  20  are mounted is disposed so as to correspond to a bottom plate  31 , a light transmitting panel substrate  11  in which a plurality of concentrating lenses  12  corresponding to the solar cells  20  are arranged is disposed so as to correspond to first direction side supporting walls  32 , first direction side frame portions  14  are inserted into frame insertion grooves  33 , and panel positioning portions  15  are engaged with positioning portion-engagement portions  34 . With such a simple method, the concentrating lens panel  10  can be matched and easily and highly accurately positioned to the elongated frame  30 , and therefore a solar power generation unit manufacturing method that has extremely high productivity and superior mass productivity can be obtained. 
     In addition, the concentrating lens panel  10  of the present embodiment includes second direction side frame portions  17  that are formed covering perimeter edges of second direction sides that intersect the first direction sides in the light transmitting panel substrate  11 , and the first direction side frame portions  14  and the second direction side frame portions  17  are integrally formed. Accordingly, the second direction side frame portions  17  can be easily and highly accurately formed with good productivity and low cost. 
     It should be noted that the number of concentrating lenses  12  disposed on the light transmitting panel substrate  11  and the number of solar cells  20  disposed on the solar cell mounting plate  21  can be determined in consideration of heat resistance, thermal expansion properties, productivity, reliability, maintainability and the like of the concentrating lens group defined in the light transmitting panel substrate  11  or the solar cell mounting plate  21  which is the unit of a single solar cell mounting unit. 
     As described above, it is possible to configure concentrating solar power generation units  1  that include an appropriate number of concentrating lenses  12  and solar cells  20  according to the usage. 
     In the present embodiment, a plurality of concentrating lenses  12  are arranged in rows on the light transmitting panel substrate  11  so as to correspond to the solar cells  20 , forming a concentrating lens array (e.g., a total of ten (2×5)) corresponding to a unit region (light transmitting panel substrate  11 ) of a concentrating lens group disposed as an elongated shape. 
     The solar cell mounting plate  21  is configured to have an elongated shape corresponding to the light transmitting panel substrate  11 , and a plurality of solar cells  20  are mounted in rows in the lengthwise direction, forming a solar cell array (e.g., a total of ten (2×5)) corresponding to an elongated mounting unit region. 
     The solar cell mounting plate  21  (receiver substrate) is made of, for example, an aluminum plate in consideration of weight reduction and heat dissipation properties. The solar cells  20  are disposed such that each solar cell is disposed so as to correspond to the center of each of light concentrating unit regions (sunlight irradiation holes formed in the bottom plate  31 ) that are formed in correspondence with the concentrating lenses  12 . The solar cell mounting plate  21  (receiver substrate) is configured to secure appropriate insulating properties and provide power of the solar cells  20 . 
     Embodiment 2 
     A concentrating solar power generation unit according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 5 . The concentrating solar power generation unit of the present embodiment is a combination of concentrating solar power generation units  1  of Embodiment 1. 
       FIG. 5  is a partially exploded perspective view of a concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. 
     A concentrating solar power generation unit  1   m  of the present embodiment includes, for example, three concentrating solar power generation units  1  that are disposed in the extension direction of the first direction sides  13  (elongated frame  30 ). The basic configuration is the same as that of Embodiment 1, which is thus referred to as appropriate, and differences are mainly described here. 
     The three concentrating solar power generation units  1  each include, as described in Embodiment  1 , a concentrating lens panel  10 , an elongated frame  30  and a solar cell mounting plate  21 . In the present embodiment, the elongated frames  30  (first direction side supporting walls  32 ) of the three concentrating solar power generation units  1  have the same common basic structure. In other words, the elongated frames  30  are connected so as to continuously extend in the direction in which the three concentrating solar power generation units  1  are disposed. 
     The frame insertion grooves  33  are also connected so as to continuously extend corresponding to the elongated frames  30 . Accordingly, concentrating lens panels  10  can be smoothly connected to the elongated frames  30 , and therefore high productivity can be secured. 
     The light transmitting panel substrate  11  (concentrating lenses  12 ) and the solar cell mounting plate  21  (solar cells  20 ) are disposed in each concentrating solar power generation unit  1 . Accordingly, it is only necessary to consider heat resistance, thermal expansion properties, productivity, reliability, maintainability and the like for each concentrating solar power generation unit  1 , and even when three concentrating solar power generation units  1  are disposed and connected in the extension direction of the elongated frames  30  to form a concentrating solar power generation unit  1   m , the same superior properties as those of the concentrating solar power generation unit  1  can be obtained. 
     The concentrating solar power generation unit lm (concentrating solar power generation units  1 ) includes second direction side supporting walls  40  that extend in a direction intersecting the solar cell mounting plates  21  and that support the second direction side frame portions  17 . In other words, by covering the terminal ends in the lengthwise direction of the elongated frame  30  with appropriate second direction side supporting walls  40 , the end faces can be sealed. 
     Accordingly, because all sides of a concentrating lens panel  10  can be supported and stabilized, it is possible to dispose a large number of concentrating lenses  12  on the concentrating lens panel  10 , and therefore a concentrating solar power generation unit lm (concentrating solar power generation units  1 ) can be obtained with good productivity and low cost. In addition, the second direction side supporting walls  40  improve the strength of the elongated frame  30  as well as the dimensional accuracy of the shape, and shield the inside of the elongated frame  30  from the external environment, and therefore it is possible to protect the solar cells  20  and improve the reliability of the concentrating solar power generation unit  1   m.    
     Embodiment 3 
     A method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit of the present embodiment is the same as the method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit described in Embodiment 1, and thus a description relating mainly to details is given here. The basic configuration is the same as that of Embodiment 1 and thus referred to as appropriate. 
     As in the method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit described in Embodiment 1, a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit of the present embodiment includes: a frame portion forming step of forming first direction side frame portions  14  that cover the perimeter edges of first direction sides  13  and panel positioning portions  15  that define the position of a concentrating lens panel  10 ; and a lens panel connecting step of connecting the concentrating lens panel  10  to first direction side supporting walls  32  by inserting the first direction side frame portions  14  into frame insertion grooves  33  that are disposed in upper portions of the first direction side supporting walls  32  and that include positioning portion-engagement portions  34  with which the panel positioning portions  15  are engaged, and engaging the panel positioning portions  15  with the positioning portion-engagement portions  34 . 
     The second direction side frame portions  17  can be formed simultaneously in the same manner as the first direction side frame portions  14  are formed, and therefore a description thereof is omitted as appropriate. 
       FIG. 6  is a plan view showing an arrangement of a die and a light transmitting panel substrate in a frame resin injecting step of a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 7  show enlarged cross sections of the arrangement of a die and a light transmitting panel substrate shown in  FIG. 6 , with  FIG. 7(A)  being an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of  FIG. 6 , and  FIG. 7(B)  being an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of  FIG. 6 . 
     The frame portion forming step of forming first direction side frame portions  14  (panel positioning portions  15 , second direction side frame portions  17 ) is carried out by a molding technique in which a resin is injected using a die  50  (including an upper die  51  and a lower die  52 ). Hereinafter, the upper die  51  and the lower die  52  are referred to simply as a die  50  where it is unnecessary to distinguish them. 
     The frame portion forming step can be divided into the following steps. Specifically, the frame portion forming step includes: a panel substrate placing step of placing a light transmitting panel substrate  11  on a die  50  (lower die  52 ); a lens resin injecting step of injecting a lens forming resin that forms concentrating lenses  12  on the light transmitting panel substrate  11  into the die  50  (a space formed by the upper die  51  and the lower die  52 ); a frame resin injecting step of injecting a frame portion forming resin that forms first direction side frame portions  14  into the die  50  (a space formed by the upper die  51  and the lower die  52 ); and a resin curing step of curing the lens forming resin and the frame portion forming resin that have been injected into the die  50 . 
     Accordingly, concentrating lenses  12  and first direction side frame portions  14  can be formed integrally with a concentrating lens panel  10 , and therefore it is possible to form the concentrating lenses  12  and the first direction side frame portions  14  with ease and high accuracy. 
     The upper die  51  has a flat face that corresponds to a light transmitting panel substrate  11  in order to protect the surface of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  from the resin (lens forming resin, frame portion forming resin). The lower die  52  has a concentrating lens forming portion  52   f  configured to have, for example, concentrically-arranged triangular waveform irregularities in order to form concentrating lenses  12 . 
     In the frame portion forming step, first, a light transmitting panel substrate  11  is positioned to and placed on the lower die  52  (panel substrate placing step). Next, the upper die  51  that has been positioned to the lower die  52  is brought into contact with the light transmitting panel substrate  11 . In other words, the light transmitting panel substrate  11  is pressed by the upper die  51 , and the upper die  51  and the lower die  52  are disposed so as to face each other (panel substrate placing step). 
     The space created between the facing upper die  51  and lower die  52  is a space for forming a first direction side frame portion  14  (frame forming portion Sob). Also, the space created between the light transmitting panel substrate  11  and the lower die  52  (concentrating lens forming portion  52   f ) is a space for forming concentrating lenses  12 . 
     The upper die  51  includes a resin injection inlet  51   r  for injecting a frame portion forming resin, and the lower die  52  includes a lower injection inlet  52   r  for injecting a lens forming resin. The die  50  (lower die  52 ) includes a positioning portion-forming portion  50   p  (a space having a shape that is reversed from the shape of panel positioning portion  15 ) for forming a panel positioning portion  15 . 
     As described above, the positioning portion-configuring portion  50   p  (panel positioning portion  15 ) is disposed at a position at which a line connecting the centers of the concentrating lenses  12  arranged in two rows (corresponding to the position indicated by the line A-A) intersects a region in which a first direction side frame portion  14  is to be formed. Accordingly, it is possible to form panel positioning portions  15  that are highly accurately positioned to the concentrating lenses  12 . 
     Next, the lens resin injecting step and the frame resin injecting step are carried out. The lens resin injecting step and the frame resin injecting step may be carried out simultaneously or either may be carried out before the other. For example, in the case where the lens resin injecting step and the frame resin injecting step are carried out simultaneously, a lens forming resin is injected from the lower injection inlet  52   r  and a frame portion forming resin is injected from the resin injection inlet  51   r.    
     Next, the die is subjected to room temperature or a heat treatment to cure the resin (the lens forming resin and the frame portion forming resin) so as to form concentrating lenses  12  and first direction side frame portions  14  having panel positioning portions  15  in the light transmitting panel substrate  11 . In other words, the resin curing step of curing the lens forming resin and the frame portion forming resin that have been injected into the die  50  is carried out. 
     As described above, with the frame portion forming step of the present embodiment, it is possible to form concentrating lenses  12 , first direction side frame portions  14  and panel positioning portions  15  together in a light transmitting panel substrate  11 , and by adjusting the dimensions of the die  50 , it is possible to form highly accurate light transmitting panel substrates  11  that correspond to the outer dimensions of light transmitting panel substrates  11 . 
     The concentrating lenses  12  and the first direction side frame portions  14  are made of, for example, acrylic resin in consideration of processability, light-transmitting properties and the like. It is also possible to use polycarbonate, glass, silicone resin or the like, instead of acrylic resin. 
     The outer shape of the concentrating lens panel  10  is defined by the first direction side frame portions  14  (and the second direction side frame portions  17 ). Accordingly, even if the light transmitting panel substrate  11  has a different outer shape size, or a slight deviation occurs during positioning in the panel substrate placing step, the outer shape size of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  is defined by the die  50  (die  50   b ), and therefore a constant shape can be secured. In other words, it is possible to manufacture light transmitting panel substrates  11  that have a highly accurate outer shape size and in which the concentrating lenses  12  and the panel positioning portions  15  are highly accurately positioned. 
     Embodiment 4 
     A method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 . The method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit of the present embodiment is the same as that described in Embodiment 3, and thus a description relating mainly to further details is given here. The basic configuration is the same as that of Embodiment 3 and thus referred to as appropriate. 
     In the present embodiment, the lens forming resin used in the lens resin injecting step and the frame portion forming resin used in the frame resin injecting step are the same resin. In other words, the lens resin injecting step and the frame resin injecting step are performed as a simultaneous resin injecting step of simultaneously injecting the same resin. 
     Accordingly, the concentrating lenses  12  and the first direction side frame portion  14  can be formed easily at low cost. Also, because the first direction side frame portion  14  and the concentrating lenses  12  are made of the same resin, the concentrating lenses  12  and panel positioning portions  14  can be formed simultaneously and their positional relationship can be defined with high accuracy, as a result of which the positional relationship between the concentrating lenses  12  and the solar cells  20  can be defined easily and highly accurately, further improving the accuracy of the light concentrating position. 
     Because the concentrating lenses  12  and the first direction side frame portions  14  are simultaneously molded using the same resin, they can be continuously molded as an integral piece, so the positional accuracy can be improved. 
       FIG. 8  is a plan view showing an arrangement of a die and a light transmitting panel substrate during a frame resin injecting step of a method for manufacturing a concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the arrangement of a die and a light transmitting panel substrate shown in  FIG. 8  taken along the line Y-Y. 
     The frame portion forming step of the present embodiment can be divided into the following steps. In other words, the frame portion forming step includes: a panel substrate placing step of placing a light transmitting panel substrate  11  on a die  50  (lower die  52 ); a simultaneous resin injecting step of simultaneously injecting a lens forming resin that forms concentrating lenses  12  in the light transmitting panel substrate  11  and a frame portion forming resin that forms first direction side frame portions  14  into the die  50  (a space formed by the upper die  51  and the lower die  52 ) as the same resin; and a resin curing step of curing the lens forming resin and the frame portion forming resin that have been injected into the die  50 . 
     As described above, because the lens forming resin and the frame portion forming resin are the same resin, the injection of resin into the die  50  can be performed via the resin injection inlet  51   r,  and therefore the shape of the die  50  and the process can be simplified. 
     Embodiment 5 
     A positioning structure of a light transmitting panel substrate  11  is shown in  FIGS. 10 to 13 . 
     First, in the present embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , panel positioning portions  15  are formed corresponding to the center of concentrating lenses  12  that are disposed on a light transmitting panel substrate  11 , as in the above embodiment. The present embodiment is different from the above embodiment in that the panel positioning portions  15  are formed in first direction sides  13  of the light transmitting panel substrate  11  as a positioning structure of the light transmitting panel substrate  11 . Positioning portion-engagement portions with which the panel positioning portions  15  are engaged are formed in upper portions of first direction side supporting walls (not shown) that support the first direction sides  13 . 
     In the present embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 12 , positioning pins  15 P serving as panel positioning portions are two-color molded with lens forming dies  51  and  52  when molding the concentrating lenses  12 . Cavities  52   g  for forming the pins  15 P are provided in the die for molding concentrating lenses  12 , so that the pins  15 P can be formed simultaneously when the concentrating lenses  12  are formed. 
     In this case, the lens forming resin is required to have appropriate transmittance, refractive index, and the like. The resin used as a material for the pins  15 P that is a projection serving as a panel positioning portion is required to have strength and provide height. From this point of view, in the present embodiment, two-color molding is performed. 
     In the case of forming a panel positioning portion by using a resin to mechanically provide a positioning function as described above, it is necessary to increase the hardness of the molded resin as the height of the projection (pin) as a panel positioning portion is increased. However, in the present embodiment, because the panel positioning portions are not required to have height, there is no problem with the lenses themselves. 
     The thus-formed light transmitting panel substrate  11  including the pins  15 P ( FIG. 13(A) ) is fixed to a first direction side  13  via a cushion  93  by a metal press  91  as shown in  FIG. 13(B) . The metal press  91  is also fixed to the first direction side  13  by a fixing tool  92 . As the cushion  93 , a resin such as a rubber or elastomer can be used. As the fixing tool  92 , a screw, bolt, rivet or the like can be used. 
     Embodiment 6 
     In Embodiment 5, as a panel positioning portion, positioning pins  15 P are formed by two-color molding using the lens forming dies  51  and  52 , whereas in Embodiment 6, these pins are formed in a separate step. The pins  15 A formed in a separate step are fixed to a light transmitting panel substrate  11 . Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 14 , pins  15 A are placed in the lower die  52  of the lens forming die in advance, and the pins  15 A are fixed to a light transmitting panel substrate  11  by fusing or bonding at the same time when molding concentrating lenses  12 , whereby the pins  15 A are fixed to the light transmitting panel substrate  11  with high bonding strength. As a method for increasing the bonding strength, a method can be used in which part of the pins  15 A (a fixing point in the light transmitting panel substrate  11 ) is coated with the same resin as used for concentrating lenses  12  and the pins  15 A are bonded to the light transmitting panel substrate  11  via the resin. 
     Embodiment 7 
     A concentrating solar power generation unit according to Embodiment 7 will be described with reference to  FIGS. 15 to 18 . 
     In Embodiment 7, as a configuration of a panel positioning portion, as shown in  FIG. 17 , a reference positioning aperture  11   a  is formed that passes through a prescribed portion of a light transmitting panel substrate  11  that faces a first direction side  13 , an upper die  51  is inserted into the reference positioning aperture  11 , and a resin is injected into the reference positioning aperture  11   a  to form a positioning aperture  11 A with the same die. The positioning aperture  11 A formed in this manner using the same die has a high degree of accuracy. In this case, as shown in  FIG. 16 , the center C 1  of the reference positioning aperture  11   a  and the center C 2  of the positioning aperture  11 A do not necessarily coincide with each other, but the positional accuracy between the center of the concentrating lenses  12  and the center C 2  of the positioning aperture  11 A as a resin aperture can be obtained sufficiently. 
     The positioning aperture  11 A can cope with a required accuracy of 0.1 mm in the reference positioning aperture  11   a  formed in the light transmitting panel substrate  11 , which has poor accuracy (in an order of mm). 
     With the above configuration, by fitting a pin  13 P formed in a first direction side  13  into the positioning aperture  11 A, concentrating lenses  12  can be easily positioned. 
     Specifically, a light transmitting panel substrate  11  in which a positioning aperture  11 A has been formed ( FIG. 18(A) ) is positioned with the pin  13 P inserted into the positioning aperture  11 A as shown in  FIG. 18(B) , and is fixed to the first direction side  13  by a metal press  91  via a cushion  93 . The metal press  91  is also fixed to the first direction side  13  by a fixing tool  92 . Specific examples used as the cushion  93  and the fixing tool  92  are the same as those described in Embodiment 5, so a description thereof is omitted here. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     With the concentrating solar power generation unit and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention, concentrating solar power generation units that have superior light concentrating properties and heat resistance can be mass produced with good productivity and low cost, and therefore the present invention can sufficiently cope with the demand for realization of power supply by concentrating solar power generation apparatuses and is useful.