SOLAR CELL MODELLING

Prepared By

Dr. Haytham Gamal

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SOLAR CELL EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT
 Predicting the performance of solar cells is
simulated by using equivalent circuits
characterized in terms of discrete idealized
components.
 A simple equivalent circuit model for a PV
composed of a real diode in parallel with an
ideal current source.
 The ideal current source delivers current in
proportion to the solar flux to which it is
exposed.
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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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SOLAR CELL EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT

Equivalent

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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REAL DIODE
 I – V Characteristics of Diode:

 Vd is the voltage across the diode, and Id is

the diode current.
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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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REAL DIODE
 I – V Characteristics of Diode:
➢ The diode current is expressed by:

▪ Io is the reverse saturation current.

▪ q is the electron charge 1.602 × 10−19 C.
▪ K is Boltzmann's constant 1.381 × 10−23 J/K.
▪ T is the diode junction temperature (K).
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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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REAL DIODE
 I – V Characteristics of Diode:
▪ At = 25∘C :

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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SOLAR CELL I-V RELATIONSHIP
▪ Apply Kirchhoff Current Law:

▪ At = 25∘C :

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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TWO PARTICULAR CONDITIONS
▪ Short Circuit Current:

➢ For short circuit condition:

• No current flows in the diode since Vd= 0.
• The current generated from the ideal source
will flow through the shorted terminals.
• Thus, the magnitude of the ideal current
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source itself must be equal to Isc. Dr. Haytham Gamal
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TWO PARTICULAR CONDITIONS
▪ Open Circuit Voltage:

➢ For open circuit condition:

• The diode current is the same as the current
of the current source.

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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TWO PARTICULAR CONDITIONS
▪ Open Circuit Voltage:

▪ At = 25∘C :

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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SOLAR CELL I-V CHARACTERISTICS

 The second term in the cell current is

just the diode equation with a negative
sign.
 That means the I −V curve of a solar cell
is just Isc added to the diode curve turned
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upside down. Dr. Haytham Gamal
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SOLAR CELL I-V CHARACTERISTICS

Diode Characteristics Solar Cell Characteristics

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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SOLAR CELL I-V CHARACTERISTICS
 For a solar cell, V > 0 and I > 0.

• 𝐼sc is directly proportional to solar insolation.

• I – V curve for varying sunlight can be
achieved using the same relationship.
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Dr. Haytham Gamal
 14 STANDARD TESTING CONDITION (STC)
 PV I-V curves shift all around as the amount of
insolation changes and as the temperature of the cells
varies.
 Standard test conditions (STC) have been established to
enable fair comparisons of one module to another.
 Those test conditions include a solar irradiance of
1 kW/m2 (1 sun).
 Moreover, the standard cell (not ambient) temperature

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for testing purposes is 25ºC.
Dr. Haytham Gamal
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STANDARD TESTING CONDITION (STC)
 Manufacturers always provide performance data
under these operating conditions.
 Key parameter for modules are usually described at
STC:
1. Rated power (maximum deliverable power).
2. Current and voltage at which this maximum
power is delivered.
 I - V characteristics are usually under STC unless
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otherwise noted. Dr. Haytham Gamal
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IV CURVES EXAMPLE
Consider a 150 cm2 photovoltaic cell with reverse
saturation current 𝐼0=10−12 A/cm2. In full sun, it
produces a short-circuit current of 40 mA/cm2 at
25∘C.
a. What would be the short-circuit current and
open-circuit voltage in full sun.
b. Repeat part (a) for 50% sun.
c. Plot the resulting I-V curves.
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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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IV CURVES EXAMPLE
A=150 cm2.
𝐼0=10−12 A/cm2.
ISC = 40 mA/cm2 at 25∘C.
a. The short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage
in full sun:
𝐼0=10−12 *150 = 1.5 × 10−10 A.
ISC = 40 *150 = 6 A.
Isc
Vocfull = 0.0257 ln +1 .
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IV CURVES EXAMPLE
6
Vocfull = 0.0257 ln −10
+ 1 = 0.627 V.
1.5 ∗ 10
b. Repeat part (a) for 50% sun:
Since short-circuit current is proportional to solar
intensity.
At half sun
Ischalf = 3 A.
3
Vochalffull = 0.0257 ln −10
+ 1 = 0.610 V.
1.5 ∗ 10
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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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IV CURVES EXAMPLE
c. Plot the resulting I-V curves.

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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PV MORE ACCURATE MODEL
Modelling the solar cell losses, series and
parallel resistors are added to the ideal solar
cell model .

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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PV MORE ACCURATE MODEL
I – V characteristics for PV practical model

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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SERIES RESISTANCE
 In any electric circuit, there is always some energy that is lost as heat

as electrons move through a material, which is called electrical

resistance.

 Electrical energy will heat up the material rather than flow through

the circuit, and these are called ohmic or resistive losses.

 The solar cells materials and construction are similar in the sense that

they don’t conduct electricity perfectly.

 Imperfect connections at the front surface contacts are a major source

of resistive losses because of the sudden change in material, and

difficulty sometimes inherent in bonding to a semiconductor.

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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SERIES RESISTANCE
 This resistance is a bigger problem at high current densities due

to small area wire contacts to minimize shadowing at the front

surface.

 At higher current densities, there is a problem analogous to a

small pipe trying to flow too much water through it and being

the bottleneck for the entire flow.

 Because this resistance dissipates energy before it gets out of the

cell, it can be included in the circuit model as a resistance in

series (or inline) with the load

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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SERIES RESISTANCE
 The series resistance causes a voltage drop across its terminals

which in turn reduces the terminal voltage and consequently

decreases the maximum power generated by the solar cell.

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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SHUNT RESISTANCE
 The doping of semiconductors into p-type or n-type is never

quite perfect and causes defects in the solar cell.

 These defects can provide alternate paths that electrons

can passes through instead of our desired load.

 These current takes a shortcut to the end instead of going

through the desired wire, this is called a shunt path.

 This effect is often represented as a shunt resistance in the

circuit model.
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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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SHUNT RESISTANCE
 Note that this resistance is connected in parallel with

the load, so it is sometimes also called a parallel

resistance.

 A shunt resistance has the effect of steadily decreasing

the current as the voltage is increased.

 A lower shunt resistance means there are more defects

and leakage currents, which reduce the maximum

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power generated by the solar cell. Dr. Haytham Gamal
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SHUNT RESISTANCE

 It is observed that both resistors diminish the

effectiveness of the solar cell, so they are called parasitic

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resistances.
Dr. Haytham Gamal
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PV MORE ACCURATE MODEL
 The effects that are represented by series and shunt

resistors are always presented in solar cells modelling.

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Dr. Haytham Gamal
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PV MORE ACCURATE MODEL
Modifying the solar cell I – V equation to
consider series and shunt resistors.
𝑞(𝑉+𝐼𝑅𝑠 )
( ) 𝑉+𝐼𝑅𝑠
𝐼 = 𝐼𝑠𝑐 − 𝐼0 𝑒 𝑘𝑇 −1 +
𝑅𝑠ℎ

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Dr. Haytham Gamal