Efficiency-loss analysis of monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells by identifying the patterns of a dual two-diode model’s current-voltage curves

In this work,we developed a simple and direct circuit model with a dual two-diode model that can be solved by a SPICE numerical simulation to comprehensively describe the monolithic perovskite/crystalline silicon(PVS/c-Si)tandem solar cells.We are able to reveal the effects of different efficiency-loss mechanisms based on the illuminated current density-voltage(J-V),semi-log dark J-V,and local ideality factor(m-V)curves.The effects of the individual efficiency-loss mechanism on the tandem cell’s efficiency are discussed,including the exp(V/VT)and exp(V/2VT)recombination,the whole cell’s and subcell’s shunts,and the Ohmic-contact or Schottky-contact of the intermediate junction.We can also fit a practical J-V curve and find a specific group of parameters by the trial-and-error method.Although the fitted parameters are not a unique solution,they are valuable clues for identifying the efficiency loss with the aid of the cell’s structure and experimental processes.This method can also serve as an open platform for analyzing other tandem solar cells by substituting the corresponding circuit models.In summary,we developed a simple and effective methodology to diagnose the efficiency-loss source of a monolithic PVS/c-Si tandem cell,which is helpful to researchers who wish to adopt the proper approaches to improve their solar cells.

Numerical Modeling and Simulation of CIGS-Based Solar Cells with ZnS Buffer Layer

Usually a buffer layer of cadmium sulphide is used in high efficiency solar cells based on Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS). Because of cadmium toxicity, many in-vestigations have been conducted to use Cd-free buffer layers. Our work focuses on this type of CIGS-based solar cells where CdS is replaced by a ZnS buffer layer. In this contribution, AFORS-HET software is used to simulate n-ZnO: Al/i-ZnO/n-ZnS/p-CIGS/Mo polycrystalline thin-film solar cell where the key parts are p-CIGS absorber layer and n-ZnS buffer layer. The characteristics of these key parts: thickness and Ga-content of the absorber layer, thickness of the buffer layer and doping concentrations of absorber and buffer layers have been investigated to optimize the conversion efficiency. We find a maximum conversion efficiency of 26% with a short-circuit current of 36.9 mA/cm2, an open circuit voltage of 824 mV, and a fill factor of 85.5%.

Thermal modeling and the optimized design of metal plate cooling systems for single concentrator solar cells

A metal plate cooling model for 400~ single concentrator solar cells was established. The effects of the thickness and the radius of the metal plate, and the air environment on the temperature of the solar cells were analyzed in detail. It is shown that the temperature of the solar cells decreased sharply at the beginning, with the increase in the thickness of the metal plate, and then changed more smoothly. When the radius of the metal plate was 4 cm and the thickness increased to 2 mm or thicker, the temperature of the solar cell basically stabilized at about 53℃. Increasing the radius of the metal plate and the convective transfer coefficient made the temperature of the solar cell decrease remarkably. The effects of A1 and Cu as the metal plate material on cooling were analyzed contrastively, and demonstrated the superiority of A1 material for the cooling system. Furthermore, considering cost reduction, space holding and the stress of the system, we optimized the structural design of the metal plate. The simulated results can be referred to the design of the structure for the metal plate. Finally, a method to devise the structure of the metal plate for single concentrator solar cells was given.

Thermal modeling optimization and experimental validation for a single concentrator solar cell system with a heat sink

A single concentrator solar cell model with a heat sink is established to simulate the thermal performance of the system by varying the number, height, and thickness of fins, the base thickness and thermal resistance of the thermal conductive adhesive. Influence disciplines of those parameters on temperatures of the solar cell and heat sink are obtained. With optimized number, height and thickness of fins, and the thickness values of base of 8, 1.4 cm, 1.5 mm, and 2 mm, the lowest temperatures of the solar cell and heat sink are 41.7 ~C and 36.3 ~C respectively. A concentrator solar cell prototype with a heat sink fabricated based on the simulation optimized structure is built. Outdoor temperatures of the prototype are tested. Temperatures of the solar cell and heat sink are stabilized with time continuing at about 37 ℃-38 ℃ and 35 ℃-36 ℃respectively, slightly lower than the simulation results because of effects of the wind and cloud. Thus the simulation model enables to predict the thermal performance of the system, and the simulation results can be a reference for designing heat sinks in the field of single concentrator solar cells.

Optimizing a Single-Absorption-Layer Thin-Film Solar Cell1 Model to Achieve 31% Efficiency

This research builds upon the authors’ previous work that introduced and modeled a novel Gallium-Arsenide, Emitterless, Back-surface Alternating Contact (GaAs-EBAC) thin-film solar cell to achieve >30% power conversion efficiency. Key design parameters are optimized under an Air-Mass (AM) 1.5 spectrum to improve performance and approach the 33.5% theoretical efficiency limit. A second optimization is performed under an AM0 spectrum to examine the cell’s potential for space applications. This research demonstrates the feasibility and potential of a new thin-film solar cell design for terrestrial and space applications. Results suggest that the straight-forward design may be an inexpensive alternative to multi-junction solar cells.

Modeling Multiple Quantum Well and Superlattice Solar Cells

The inability of a single-gap solar cell to absorb energies less than the band-gap energy is one of the intrinsic loss mechanisms which limit the conversion efficiency in photovoltaic devices. New approaches to “ultra-high” efficiency solar cells include devices such as multiple quantum wells (QW) and superlattices (SL) systems in the intrinsic region of a p-i-n cell of wider band-gap energy (barrier or host) semiconductor. These configurations are intended to extend the absorption band beyond the single gap host cell semiconductor. A theoretical model has been developed to study the performance of the strain-balanced GaAsP/InGaAs/GaAs MQWSC, and GaAs/GaInNAs MQWSC or SLSC. Our results show that conversion efficiencies can be reached which have never been obtained before for a single-junction solar cell.

Effect of the Dynamic Resistance on the Maximum Output Power in Dynamic Modelling of Photovoltaic Solar Cells

Several studies on PV solar cells are found in the literature which use static models. Those models are mainly one-diode, two-diode or three-diode models. In the dynamic modelling, a variable parallel capacitance is incorporated. Unlike the previous studies which do not clearly establish a relationship between the capacitance and the voltage, in the present paper, the link between the capacitance and the voltage is investigated and established. In dynamic modelling investigated in this paper, the dynamic resistance is introduced in the modelling of the solar cell. It is introduced in the current-voltage characteristic. The value of the dynamic resistance is evaluated at the maximum power point and its effect on the maximum power is investigated. The study shows for the first time, that the dynamic resistance must be introduced in the current-voltage characteristic, because it has an influence on the PV cell output.

Optical Absorption Enhancement Effects of Silver Nanodisk Arrays in the Application of Silicon Solar Cell

Surface plasmon resonance of noble metal nanoparticles leads to the optical absorption enhancement effects,which have great potential applications in solar cell.By using the general numerical method of discrete dipole approximation （DDA）,we study the absorption and scattering properties of two-dimensional square silver nanodisks （2D SSN） arrays on the single crystal silicon solar cell.Based on the effective reflective index model of the single crystal silicon solar cell,we investigate the optical enhancement absorption of light energy by varying the light incident direction,particle size,aspect ratio,and interparticle spacing of the silver nanodisks.The peak values and position of the optical extinction spectra of the 2D square arrays of noble metal nanodisks are obtained with the different array structures.

Light scattering of nanocrystalline TiO_2 film used in dye-sensitized solar cells

This paper studies the light scattering and adsorption of nanocrystalline TiO2 porous films used in dye-sensitized solar cells composed of anatase and/or rutile particles by using an optical four-flux radiative transfer model. These light properties are difficult to measure directly on the functioning solar cells and they can not be calculated easily from the first-principle computational or quantitative theoretical evaluations. These simulation results indicate that the light scattering of 1 25 nm TiO2 particles is negligible, but it is effective in the range of 80 and 180 nm. A suitable mixture of small particles （10 nm radius）, which are resulted in a large effective surface, and of larger particles （150 nm radius）, which are effective light scatterers, have the potential to enhance solar absorption significantly. The futile crystals have a larger refractive index and thus the light harvest of the mixtures of such larger rutile and relatively small anatase particles is improved in comparison with that of pure anatase films. The light absorption of the 10μm double-layered films is also examined. A maximal light absorption of double-layered film is gotten when the thickness of the first layer of 10 urn-sized anatase particles is comparable to that of the second larger rutile layer.

Guidelines for Optimization of the Absorber Layer Energy Gap for High Efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se₂Solar Cells

This work investigates in-depth the effects of variation of the compositional ratio of the absorber layer in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin-film solar cells. Electrical simulations were carried out in order to propose the most suitable gallium double-grading profile for the high efficiency devices. To keep the model as close as possible to the real behavior of the thin film solar cell a trap model was implemented to describe the bulk defects in the absorber layer. The performance of a solar cell with a standard CIGS layer thickness (2 μm) exhibits a strong dependence on the front grading height (decreasing band gap toward the middle of the CIGS layer). An absolute gain in the efficiency (higher than 1%) is observed by a front grading height of 0.22. Moreover, simulation results show that the position of the plateau (the region characterized by the minimum band gap) should be accurately positioned at a compositional ratio of 20% Ga and 80% In, which corresponds to the region where a lower bulk defect density is expected. The developed model demonstrates that the length of the plateau is not playing a relevant role, causing just a slight change in the solar cell performances. Devices with different absorber layer thicknesses were simulated. The highest efficiency is obtained for a CIGS thin film with thicknesses between 0.8 and 1.1 μm.

Measuring Method for Shunt Resistance of Solar Cell

Shunt resistance of solar cell must be monitored for large area solar cell manufactured with conventional process.A measuring method for the shunt resistance is derived from direct-current model.The shunt resistance of solar cell is obtained only by treating a part of I-V data.

The Solar Cell Parameters as a Function of Its Temperature in Relation to Its Diurnal Efficiency

The variation of the temperature of the solar cell subjected to the incident global solar radiation along the local daytime in relation to its efficiency is studied. The heat balance equation is solved. The solution revealed that the cell temperature is a function of the maximum value of the daily incident global solar radiation qmax, the convection heat transfer coefficient (h), the optical, physical and the geometrical parameters of the cell. The temperature dependence of the short circuit current Isc, the dark saturation current Io, the open circuit voltage Voc, and the energy band gap Eg characterizing a Silicon solar cell is considered in evaluating the cell efficiency. Computations of the efficiency concerning operating conditions and astronomical locations (Egypt) as illustrative examples are given.

Variation of Quantum Efficiency in CZTSSe Solar Cells with Temperature and Bias Dependence by SCAPS Simulation

The quantum efficiency of CZTSSe （copper zinc tin sulphur selenium） thin film solar cells is numerically simulated at different temperatures and under a set of bias conditions about the efficiency limiting factors. A systematic methodology is developed and integrated into the proposed model to simulate the characteristics in the quantum efficiency. The proposed model is demonstrated with respect to an ideal device model under a set of bias conditions to selectively deactivate performance limiting parameters under light and voltage biased conditions. Under particular wavelength regions and bias conditions, a particular type of defects near the heterojunction interface significantly impact the carrier collection of devices. This deep acceptor type defect distribution is located in the band of ＋/- 0.3 eV from the midgap. These defect states influence CZTSSe spectral responses of red and IR light wavelength regions in quantum efficiency caused by affected depletion width toward the back contact. Therefore, the quantum efficiency of CZTSSe devices is altered disproportionally at biased conditions.

Optical Analysis of a ZnO/Cu_(2)O Subcell in a Silicon-Based Tandem Heterojunction Solar Cell

Research on silicon-based tandem heterojunction solar cells (STHSC) incorporating metal oxides is one of the main directions for development of high-efficiency solar cells. In this work, the optical characteristics of a STHSC consisting of a ZnO/Cu2O subcell on top of a silicon-based subcell were studied by optical modelling. Cu2O is a direct-gap p-type semiconductor which is attractive for application in solar cells due to its high absorptance of ultra-violet and visible light, nontoxicity, and low-cost producibility. Highly Al-doped ZnO and undoped Cu2O thin films were prepared on quartz substrates by magnetron sputter deposition. Thermal annealing of the Cu2O layer at 900°C enhances the electrical properties and reduces optical absorption, presumably as a result of increased grain size. Hall effect measurements show that the majority carrier (hole) mobility increases from 10 to 50 cm2/V×s and the resistivity decreases from 560 to 200 Ω×cm after annealing. A Cu2O absorber layer of 2 μm thickness will generate about 10 mA/cm2 of photocurrent under AM1.5G illumination. The optical analysis of the STHSC involved calculating the spectral curves for absorptance, transmittance, and reflectance for different thicknesses of the thin film layers constituting the ZnO/Cu2O subcell. The complex refractive indices of the thin films were derived from spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements and implemented in the simulation model. The lowest reflectance and highest transmittance for the ZnO/Cu2O subcell are obtained for a thickness of approximately 80 nm for both the top and bottom AZO layers. The SiNx anti-reflection coating for the c-Si bottom subcell must be optimized to accommodate the shift of the photon spectrum towards longer wavelengths. By increasing the thickness of the SiNx layer from 80 nm to 120 nm, the total reflectance for the STHSC device is reduced from 12.7% to 9.7%.

An Unprecedented Efficiency with Approaching 21%Enabled by Additive‑Assisted Layer‑by‑Layer Processing in Organic Solar Cells

Recently published in Joule,Feng Liu and colleagues from Shanghai Jiaotong University reported a record-breaking 20.8%power conversion efficiency in organic solar cells(OSCs)with an interpenetrating fibril network active layer morphology,featuring a bulk p-in structure and proper vertical segregation achieved through additive-assisted layer-by-layer deposition.This optimized hierarchical gradient fibrillar morphology and optical management synergistically facilitates exciton diffusion,reduces recombination losses,and enhances light capture capability.This approach not only offers a solution to achieving high-efficiency devices but also demonstrates the potential for commercial applications of OSCs.

Simulink Based Analysis and Realization of Solar PV System

Non-conventional energy resources are increasingly used to fulfill load demands. Before using such energy sources, the very important thing is analysis at the basic level. This paper presents analysis and realization of solar PV system. The current-voltage and power-voltage characteristics of solar PV array changes as parameters like solar insolation, and temperature changes. These characteristics are found and realized by using MATLAB software.

Transmission line model and field analysis of metamaterial absorber：ideal concentrator of electromagnetic waves

Arising from the proposed Transmission Line(TL) model for ERR and wire structure, a TL model for a metamaterial absorber is proposed. The S-parameters obtained by this TL model demonstrate the same shapes as the simulation. An investigation of the TL model and average absorption power densities shows that the metamaterial absorber does not simply convert the electromagnetic wave into thermal energy, but concentrate the electromagnetic wave into a small space where it is finally absorbed. This suggests that the metamaterial absorber can be applied to solar cells for the purpose of light trapping.

二氧化锡基染料敏化太阳能电池电子传输模型优化及器件性能研究

针对染料敏化太阳能电池(DSSC)而言,其光阳极的材料特性与设计参数对DSSC性能具有显著影响。为了深入研究这一影响,本文采用数值模拟的方式,以探究光阳极结构变化对DSSC性能的详细影响。但目前的数学模型不够完善且预测精度较低,因而本文在光电子传输理论和朗伯比尔定律的基础上,采用常数堆叠法和可变堆叠法将孔隙率对电子扩散系数的影响引入到DSSC的数学模型中,建立了更加完善且精确的电子传输模型,该模型能够更深入剖析光阳极结构参数变化对DSSC性能的影响。通过数值模拟了在不同孔隙体积、电子寿命、SnO_(2)涂层厚度及比表面积下DSSC的性能。结果发现:随着SnO_(2)薄膜孔隙体积的增加,太阳能电池的短路电流密度逐渐减小,而开路电压则呈增大趋势,这导致光电转换效率逐渐降低。当孔隙体积达到0.10 cm^(3)/g时,DSSC光电转换效率达5.16%,因此在保证电池刚性的前提下,尽量降低SnO_(2)的孔隙体积,有利于吸收系数和扩散系数的提升,这两个参数的提升有利于DSSC整体性能的提升,同时电子寿命的延长会带来太阳能电池短路电流密度和开路电压的增大,进而提升光电转换效率,当电子寿命达到200 ms时,光电转换效率达到5.82%。本研究通过详细的数值模拟分析,为优化光阳极结构从而提升DSSC的光电性能提供了有力的理论指导,有助于进一步推动DSSC的研究与应用。

三元聚合物太阳电池研究进展

在过去10年,聚合物太阳电池(PSC)由于非富勒烯受体的发展,功率转化效率(PCE)已经达到19%,高于非晶硅的效率,受到了极大的关注。与传统的二元聚合物太阳电池相比,具有第三组分的PSC,由给体材料、受体材料和第三组分组成,三元PSC的吸收被拓宽、形貌调节更加精细,电荷传输路径更高效。此外,简易的工艺以及更好的稳定性,使三元PSC具有更好的商业前景。综述了三元PSC的研究演变、作用和机理进展。特别讨论了第三组分在PSC中的作用以及稳定性研究,最后对三元PSC的未来进行了展望。

离子迁移相关的钙钛矿太阳电池J-V模型建立及其光电过程研究

重点研究离子迁移对钙钛矿薄膜太阳能电池Jsc和Voc的影响.通过理论建模和计算,发现离子迁移对电池的Voc产生了明显的影响,并证实其是J V迟滞效应的主要原因.此外,还研究多种动力学参数对电池性能的影响,如扩散系数、载流子寿命、注入速率,以及这些参数与钙钛矿薄膜厚度的关系.这一模型揭示了电池光电性能的影响因素,为钙钛矿太阳能电池性能和器件优化提供了重要的科学依据.