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21 Solar Cells II PDF
21 Solar Cells II PDF
⎡ ⎛ qV ⎞ ⎤
I = I S ⎢exp ⎜ ⎟ − 1⎥ − I Ph
⎣ ⎝ kT ⎠ ⎦
Open-circuit solar cell
⎧⎪ ⎡ ⎛ qVoc ⎞ ⎤ ⎫⎪
I = ⎨IS ⎢exp ⎜ ⎟ − 1⎥ − I ph ⎬ = 0
⎪⎩ ⎣ ⎝ kT ⎠ ⎦ ⎭⎪
⎧ ⎡ ⎛ qV ⎞ ⎤ ⎫
I sc = ⎨ I S ⎢exp ⎜ kT ⎟ − 1⎥ − I ph ⎬
⎩ ⎣ ⎝ ⎠ ⎦ ⎭
V =0
The dashed region shows the range of external bias where the
energy is generated: Pdis=V×I < 0
Equivalent circuit of the solar cell with active load.
VL
Diode equation:
⎡ ⎛ qV ⎞ ⎤
I = I S ⎢exp ⎜ ⎟ − 1⎥ − I Ph
⎣ ⎝ kT ⎠ ⎦
Kirchhoff voltage law:
V +VL = 0; or VL = − V
Load equation:
I =VL / RL = − V / RL
“Load line”
The output power of the solar cell
qVm / kT qVm
IS e + I S eqVm / kT ≈ I ph ;
kT
qVm / kT ⎛ qVm ⎞
I ph ≈ I S e ⎜ 1 + kT ⎟
⎝ ⎠
Compare Vm to the open-circuit voltage VOC: I ph = I S eqVOC / kT
kT ⎛ qVm ⎞
From this, Vm =VOC − ln ⎜ 1 +
q ⎝ kT ⎟⎠
Note that kT ⎛ qVm ⎞
ln ⎜ 1 + ⎟ ≈ 0.026 ln (1 + 1 / 0.026 ) = 0.096V
q ⎝ kT ⎠
Also, note that ln(x) is a slow function of x. Hence,
⎛ qV ⎞ ⎛ qV ⎞
ln ⎜1 + m ⎟ ≈ ln ⎜ 1 + OC ⎟
⎝ kT ⎠ ⎝ kT ⎠
kT ⎛ qVOC ⎞
The optimal voltage is then: Vm ≈VOC − ln ⎜1 +
q ⎝ kT ⎟⎠
The optimal current of the solar cell
(corresponding to the maximum output power)
⎡ ⎛ qV ⎞ ⎤
I m = I S ⎢exp ⎜ m ⎟ − 1⎥ − I Ph
⎣ ⎝ kT ⎠ ⎦
kT ⎛ qVOC ⎞ kT ⎛ I ph ⎞
Where Vm =VOC − ln ⎜ 1 + VOC ≈
kT ⎟⎠
and ln ⎜ ⎟
q ⎝ q ⎝ IS ⎠
⎛ kT ⎞
after transformations, I m = − I ph ⎜ 1 − ⎟
⎝ qV m⎠
I mVm
FF =
I SCVOC
Solar cell conversion efficiency
A solar cell's energy conversion efficiency (η, "eta"), is the percentage
of power converted from absorbed light to electrical energy
The "standard" solar radiation (known as the "air mass 1.5 spectrum")
has a power density of 1000 watts per square meter. Thus, a 12%
efficiency solar cell having 1 m² of surface area in full sunlight (at
solar noon at the equator) will produce 120 watts of power.
Solar cell design issues