Solar spectral variations and their influence on concentrator solar cell performance
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Kimerling_Solar spectral.pdf
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Author(s)
Broderick, Lirong Z.
Kimerling, Lionel C.
Michel, Jurgen
Albert, Brian Ross
Pearson, Brian
Michel, Jurgen
Date Issued
September 2013
Journal
Proceedings of SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engineering
Publisher
SPIE
Citation
Broderick, Lirong Z., Brian R. Albert, Brian S. Pearson, Lionel C. Kimerling, and Jurgen Michel. “Solar Spectral Variations and Their Influence on Concentrator Solar Cell Performance.” Edited by Adam P. Plesniak. High and Low Concentrator Systems for Solar Electric Applications VIII (September 9, 2013). © 2013 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)
Version
Final published version
Abstract
A comparative study is performed to quantify the difference in efficiency and spectral sensitivity between a tandem junction and its spectrum splitting parallel junction counterpart. Direct normal solar spectra in a representative sunny site, Tucson, Arizona are calculated using the SPCTRAL2 model at 15-minute intervals throughout a year with real-time meteorological data input. The corresponding efficiencies of the two junctions under 500X concentration at cell temperatures deduced from thermal modeling with real-time ambient temperatures are computed. Both junction structures comprise the same materials, InGaP, GaAs and Ge, and are each optimized to the AM1.5D standard spectrum and cell temperature of 25 C, under which the parallel junction achieves a 1.0% absolute (and 2.5% relative) higher efficiency than the tandem junction. The two junctions are compared for their hourly, daily, and yearly average efficiencies. It is found that the yearly average efficiency of the parallel junction is 2.65% absolute (and 7.31% relative) higher than that of the tandem junction.
MIT Department
MIT Materials Research Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
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Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2035395
