Solar Photovoltaic

EEE 483
RENEWABLE ENERGY

M Rezwan Khan, PhD Avijit Saha

Executive Director, Co-ordinator,
Institute of Advanced Research Power & Energy Training Academy
Professor, Dept. of EEE, UIU Lecturer, Dept. of EEE, UIU
 Solar Cell

 Solar cell is a photovoltaic

device that converts the light
energy into electrical energy
based on the principles of
photovoltaic effect

 Albert Einstein was awarded

the 1921 Nobel Prize in physics
for his research on the
photoelectric effect—a
phenomenon central to the
generation of electricity through
solar cells
 Photovoltaic Effect

 The generation of
Light
voltage across the p-n energy
junction in a
semiconductor due to
the absorption of light n-type semiconductor
radiation is called Electrical
photovoltaic effect p- type semiconductor
Power

 The Devices based on

this effect is called p-n junction

photovoltaic device
 Semiconductor Physics

 The conductivity of some materials like germanium,

silicon, carbon etc. lies between good conductors and
insulators, and these materials are called
semiconductors.
 The atoms of semiconductor elements have exactly
four valence electrons.
 The temperature coefficient of resistance is negative.

 When impurities are added to a semiconductor, the

resistivity of the semiconductor changes abruptly.
Energy Band of Different Materials
 Semiconductor Bonds

Each semiconductor atom creates four covalent by sharing

electrons with four neighboring atoms in the crystal.
 Mostly Used Semiconductor

Silicon(Si) Germanium(Ge)

 Electron no is 14  Electron no is 32
(2,8,4) (2,8,18,4)

 Requires 1.1 eV for  Requires 0.7 eV for

breaking any covalent breaking any covalent
bond bond
 Intrinsic Semiconductor

 Intrinsic semiconductor is extremely pure

semiconductor.

 At room temperature, electron-hole pairs created in

the intrinsic semiconductor crystal only due to thermal
excitation.

 An intrinsic semiconductor does have a moderate

conductivity of electricity due to the concentration of
free electrons and holes thermally created in the
crystal, at room temperature.
Energy Band of Intrinsic Semiconductor
 Extrinsic Semiconductor

 We can change the conductivity of the

semiconductor significantly by adding some
impurities in it.

 We refer to the process of adding impurities in a

semiconductor for changing its conductive
property, as doping.
 Doping of Semiconductor Material

 Over 95% of all the solar cells produced worldwide

are composed of the semiconductor material
Silicon (Si), the second most abundant element in
earth`s crust

 To produce a solar cell, the semiconductor is

contaminated or "doped"

 "Doping" is the intentional introduction of

chemical elements into the semiconductor
 N-type and P-type Semiconductor

N-type P-type

 N-type is made by doping pure Tetravalent atom (Si)

with Pentavalent atom (P, As)

 P-type is made by doping Tetravalent atom (Si) with

Trivalent atom (B, Al, Ga)
Energy Band of Extrinsic Semiconductor
Energy Band of P-N Junction
Effects of a P-N Junction
Physical Process in a Solar Cell
 Physical Process in a Solar Cell

• Photovoltaic energy conversion relies on the number of

photons strikes on the earth. (photon is a flux of light
particles)

• On a clear day, about 4.4 x 1017 photons strike a square

centimeter of the Earth's surface every second

 Light, which falls on a solar cell, can be reflected,

absorbed or transmitted

 Since silicon has a high refractive index (> 3.5), over 30

% of the incident light are reflected
 Physical Process in a Solar Cell

 Therefore solar cells are always provided with an

antireflection coating, A thin layer titanium dioxide is
usual.
 Thus the reflection losses for the solar spectrum can be
reduced to about 10%.
 The photon is completely absorbed by a bound electron
and electron takes the entire energy of the photon and
becomes free-electron
 However, In semiconductors a photon can be only
absorbed if its energy is larger than the band gap energy
of the material
 Physical Process in a Solar Cell

 Photons with energies smaller than the bandgap pass

through the semiconductor and cannot contribute to
energy conversion.

 Photons with energies much higher than the bandgap

are also lost as surplus energy as fast given away as
heat to the crystal lattice.

 On an average 60% of the incident photons are not

absorbed. Only 40% are absorbed.
 Physical Process in a Solar Cell

 A photon with sufficient large energy falls on the surface of

the solar cell, penetrates emitter and space-charge zone and
is absorbed in p-base. An electron-hole pair is developed

 Since electrons are in the minority in the p-base, it diffuses

in the p-base until it arrives at the boundary of the space-
charge zone

 The existing strong electrical field in the space-charge zone

accelerates the electron and brings it to the emitter side

 Thus a separation of carrier takes place. If diffusion length

is not large enough, recombination of electron may occur
 Physical Process in a Solar Cell

 Absorption of a light quantum il1 the emitter leads ,to the

formation of an electron-hole pair

 According to the strongly doped n-emitter, the holes ate

here the minority charge carrier. With sufficient large
diffusion length the hole reaches the edge of the space-
charge zone, is accelerated by the electric field ,and is
brought to the p-base side

 If absorption occurs in the space-charge zone, electrons

and holes are immediately separated due to existing
electric field there
 Physical Process in a Solar Cell

 Due to the absorption of photons, the concentration of

electrons in the n-type and concentration of holes in the
p-type region increases. An electrical voltage is build up

 If the p-n junction is connected to an external load (e.g.

resistor) the electrons from the n-type region will flow
through the load to the p-type base and recombines there

 As long as the sunlight is available, the process continues

 How a Solar Cell Works

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AX0qvnjSnM

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_q6LRgKpTw
&t=298s
Equivalent Circuit of a Solar Cell
Equivalent Circuit of a Solar Cell
I-V Characteristics of a Solar Cell
 Effect of Irradiance & Temperature

Irradiance Temperature Air Mass

STC
1000 W/m2 25 C 1.5
Solar Cell in Series and Parallel
 Solar Panel

Solar Panel is an array of several solar cells (Photovoltaic cells).

The arrays can be formed by connecting them in parallel or series
connection depending upon the energy required.
Specifications of a Solar Panel
Solar PV Array
 Solar Cell Materials

 Crystalline silicon
 Cadmium telluride
 Copper indium diselenide
 Gallium arsenide
 Indium phosphide
 Zinc sulphide
Solar Cell Generations
Types of Mostly Used Solar Cells
 Types of Mostly Used Solar Cells

Cadmium Telluride (CdTe),

Copper Indium Gallium
Selenide (CIGS) and
Amorphous Silicon (A-Si)
are three thin-film
technologies.
 Losses in a Solar Cell
Cause Explanation Amount of loss

Less energy of Photon lacks energy required to 19%

photon free electron from solar cell.
Excessive energy of Photon has excessive energy than 28%
photon required which is a heat loss.
Distant absorption of Crystal absorbs photon at a 19%
photon distance from the connecting
spot.
Fill Factor Shunt and series resistance of a 4%
solar cell connected with system
Reflection and Free electrons are absorbed by 2%
artificial absorption impure atoms
Dust and other dirt Accumulation of dust on the Varies
panel
 Efficiency of a Solar Cell

The highest efficiency of a commercially available Solar

Panel is 22.8%
Thank you