Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Photovoltaics

Photovoltaics is defined as a process that converts sunlight directly into electricity using solar cells. A
photovoltaic cell (PV) cell is basically a semiconductor device that converts the sunlight into
electrical energy. The PV effect was first time discovered by a French Scientist Edmond Becquerel in
the year 1839. Since then, a variety of PV cells have been developed and great advancements have
been made in the PV industry. From single junction crystalline solar cells to thin film technologies
including amorphous Si (a-Si) based thin films solar cells, Copper Indium Gallium Selenide
(CIGS) solar cells, Cadmium Telluride/Cadmium Sulfide (CdTe/CdS) solar cells to Dye sensitized,
Polymer based, organic and concentrated solar cells.

Working of a Solar cell

A typical silicon solar cell is basically a diode that is formed by joining the p-type (usually Boron
doped) and n-type (usually phosphorous doped) silicon. When light strikes the surface of a solar cell,
the photons easily enter into the p-n junction through the thin p-type layer. The light energy in form of
photons provides enough energy to the junction and results in formation of electron-hole pairs. The
electric field at the p-n junction moves the free electrons towards the n-type of the junction and the
holes move towards the p-type side of the junction. The newly created electrons and holes cannot
further cross the junction due to barrier potential and are separately extracted to an external circuit
contributing to the electric current. In this way solar cell generates electricity.

IV Characteristics of Solar Cell

The characteristic curve that is generated by plotting the current against the voltage of the
diode is known as IV characteristics of a solar cell. When no light is falling on a solar cell
then it acts like a normal diode and is known as Dark IV Characteristics. As shown in figure.
But when light falls on the solar cell then the light generated current IL is merely added to the
normal dark currents in the diode, so the diode law becomes

𝑞𝑉
𝐼 = 𝐼𝑂 [𝑒𝑥𝑝 ( ) − 1] − 𝐼𝐿
𝑛𝑘𝑇
I=diode current.

𝐼𝑂 =Reverse Saturation current.

𝐼𝐿 =Light generated current.

V=Voltage across diode.

n=Ideality factor.

k= Boltzmann constant.

T=Absolute Temperature of p-n junction.

The light has an effect of shifting the I-V Curve to fourth quadrant, from where the power can
be extracted as shown in figure. This I-V curve is mostly represented as reversed and the
output curve is shifted to the first quadrant as shown in figure. And so the diode law can be
rearranged as:

𝑞𝑉
𝐼 = 𝐼𝐿 −𝐼𝑂 [𝑒𝑥𝑝 ( ) − 1]
𝑛𝑘𝑇