SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (SPV)

TECHNOLOGY
Introduction
 Crystalline silicon(Si) semiconductor is the popular
choice for photovoltaic cells
 A PN junction of silicon semiconductor produces
photovoltaic effect when exposed to sunlight

2
Semiconductor Basics
 Intrinsic (pure) & Extrinsic (doped)
 In a pure semiconductor – Electrons stay in two Energy
Bands–
 1) Conduction Band(CB) 2) Valence Band(VB)
 Electrons move from VB to CB if they possess energy
higher than Eg(Band gap energy)

3
Semiconductor Basics (Contd.)
 When electrons in VB absorb energy greater than Eg
from photons, they can move to CB
 Electrons moving from VB to CB produces a hole in
VB

4
N-type semiconductor
 Pure Si is doped with donor atoms like P or As
 Contains free electrons (-ve charge)

P-type semiconductor
 Pure Si is doped with acceptor atoms like B or Al
 Contains holes (+ve charge)
 Holes can move freely in a crystal

5
Photon Energy
 Sunlight is composed of tiny energy capsules called
photons
 More intensity  More photons

6
 Photon Energy (Contd.)
 Energy available in a photon is :

where h = Planck’s constant (6.63 X 10-34 J-s)

v = Frequency of photon in Hz
c = Speed of light (3 X 108 m/s)
λ = Wavelength of photon in m

7
Photon Energy (Contd.)
 Expressing λ in μm and E in eV ( 1.6 X 10-19 J):

 E must be > Eg for the production of electron hole pair(EHP)

in a semiconductor
 Eg for Si = 1.11 eV
 For Si, only photons of λ < 1.1 μm(=1.24/1.11) can produce
EHP
 Even if a photon has energy much greater than Eg, only one
EHP is produced

8
Solar Radiation Spectrum

Solar Radiation
Spectrum

Ultra Violet – 6.4% Visible – 48% Infra Red- 45.6%

(λ<0.38μm) (0.38μm<λ<0.78μm) (λ>0.78μm)

9 Si Solar Cell can utilise only wavelengths < 1.1 micro metre
Terrestrial Solar Radiation
Spectrum

10
Si Solar Cell can utilise only wavelengths < 1.1 micro metre
Diffusion Current
 Current in a semiconductor (SC) due to diffusion of
charge carriers from area of high conc. to low conc.
 Caused due to majority carriers in extrinsic SC

Diffusion current in a PN junction

11
Drift Current
 Current in a SC due to electric field
 Caused due to minority carriers in extrinsic SC

Drift current in a PN junction

Total current = Diffusion + Drift currents

12
 Fermi level (EF)
 Represents the energy state with a 50% probability of
being filled by charge carriers
 For intrinsic semiconductor,
Electron conc. in CB = Hole conc. in VB
 ∴ EF lies in the centre of Eg

13
 Fermi level (EF) – (Contd.)
 For n- type, due to large no. of free e, the probability of
e occupying the energy level towards CB is more
 ∴ EF shifts close to CB

14
 Fermi level (EF) – (Contd.)
 For p- type, due to large no. of free h, the probability of
h occupying the energy level towards VB is more
 ∴ EF shifts close to VB

15
 PN junction – Band diagram
 A system in thermal equilibrium can have only one EF

PN junction Energy Band diagram

N-type P-type (under Equilibrium)
16
Unbiased PN junction

Diffusion
Diffusion:
 e : N to P
Drift
+ -  h : P to N
Drift:
+ -
 e : P to N
+ -  h : N to P
+
 Under equilibrium,
+ - diffusion & drift currents
Electric Field balances & net current is zero

17
Photovoltaic Cell- Working Principle
+ -
 e-h pairs generated at the
+ - pn junction due to sunlight
+ -  e drifts to N region &
- collected by –ve electrode
+
 h drifts to P region &
collected by +ve electrode
 i flows from +ve to –ve
electrode through external
load

Electric Field

18
 electron flow

Current flow
+

19
20
PN junction I-V curve ( in dark)
 Diode current, Id
qV
I d  I o (e kT
 1)

where
q = electronic charge
= 1.6 X 10-19 C
Io = Saturation Current
Cut-in voltage
= 0.6 to 0.7 for Silicon
Id

V
21
 PN junction I-V curve ( under
illumination)
 Additional e-h pairs are generated
and barrier potential causes a flow of
charge carriers

 Light generated current flows out

through an external circuit

I = I L - Id

Id

illuminated

22
Solar Cell I-V characteristics

 ISC = Short Circuit current

 VOC = Open Circuit voltage
 Pmax = Maximum Power (peak
power)
 Vmp = Voltage at Pmax
 Imp = Current at Pmax

23
Solar Cell Efficiency

Max. Cell Power Pmax Vmp I mp

  
Incident light Intensity Pin Pin

 Pin = Is X Ac

 Where
 Is = Incident solar radiation(per m2)

 Ac = Area of solar cell

Commercial Si solar cell efficiency: 12-15%

24
Solar Cell Fill Factor(FF)

 FF = Pmax /(Voc Isc)

 It is a measure of the squareness of
the I-V curve or the quality of a solar
cell
 Pmax = FF X Voc X Isc
 For solar cells with low FF, the Pmax
is low even with same Voc and Isc
 For an ideal solar cell, FF=1
 Practical FF value: ~ 0.8

25
Effect of Temperature

 Isc increases slightly with increase in

temperature
 Voc decreases with increase in
temperature
 Pmax decreases with increase in
temperature

26
 @1 sun concentration (i.e. 1000 W/m2)

• Total current in a solar cell proportional to the area of the cell

• Voltage across a solar cell is constant irrespective of its area

27
Effect of Solar Radiation on I-V
curve

 Isc varies proportionally with the

solar radiation
 Voc increases slightly with the solar
radiation
 Power output varies proportionally
with the solar radiation

28
Solar Cell – Equivalent Circuit
 For ideal solar cell,
I

Rs (Series Resistance)
should be zero

 Rsh (Shunt Resistance)

Vd should be infinity

Id Ish

q (V  IRs )
V  IRs
qVd
V
I  I L  I d  I sh  I L  I o (e kT
 1)  d  I L  I o (e kT
 1) 
Rsh Rsh

29
Factors limiting the efficiency of solar cells

 Reflection from the top surface of the cell

 Photons with energy < Eg cannot produce electricity
 If photons have energy > Eg, then excess energy is
lost as heat
 Output power reduces with increase in temp. ( 0.5%
per oC)
 Shading & Series Resistance losses due to top
metal contacts

30