Determining the Efficiency of Solar Cells at Different Temperatures

The operating temperature plays a critical role in the photovoltaic conversion process. The electric output and power output of a photovoltaic (PV) module are linearly dependent on the operating temperature. It has been proposed that short-circuit current tends to increase with temperature. The results from this study are consistent with existing literature on the subject, like temperature and intensity. A temperature is considered one of the constraints and factors that influence the efficiency of a solar cell. The objectives of this research are to study the I - V Parameters of crystalline silicon solar cells, through different temperatures in the range 303 k - 311 k, solar cell performance is determined by its parameters, viz., short circuit current (I_sc), the open circuit voltage(V_oc), and the fill factor (FF) and efficiency (η), and graphical method of the output power of a solar module determination. The result clarifies that temperature has a significant effect on the solar cell parameters and it controls the quality and performance of silicon solar cells when temperature increases at 300？C, 320？C, 370？C, and 380？C, respectively; the efficiency of the solar cell decreases as temperature increased the values were be found in the range (10.1 to 9.7)% this approve that the high-temperature effect negatively on solar cell efficiency. The results show that the open circuit voltage, maximum power, fill factor, and efficiency decrease with temperature due to a reduction in the bandgap of silicon solar cells, thereby affecting most of the semiconductor material parameters. The decrease in the band gap of a semiconductor with increasing temperature can be viewed as increasing the energy of the electrons in the material. Lower energy is therefore needed to break the bond. In the bond model of a semiconductor bandgap, a reduction in the bond energy also reduces the bandgap. The operating temperature plays a key role in the photovoltaic conversion process. Both the electric and the power output of a photovoltaic (PV) module depend linearly on the operating temperature. The various correlations proposed as short circuit currents increase with temperature. The results are in good agreement with the available literature.