Researcher(s)
- Micah Dulos, Computer Engineering, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Kevin Dobson, Institute of Energy Conservation, University of Delaware
Abstract
The effects of light soaking on the performance of cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells remain an area of ongoing research as it is essential for characterizing short term and long term device performance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how different light-soaking conditions influence the electrical performance of CdTe solar cells.
CdTe cells were created under standard conditions and subjected to controlled light soaking treatments at varying temperatures and exposure times. Current density-voltage (J-V) testing was then carried before and after light soaking exposure under standard illumination conditions. Device performance was analyzed using open-circuit voltage (Voc), short-circuit current density (Jsc), fill factor (FF), and efficiency (Pmax). The effects of each light-soaking condition using generated J-V curves and calculated photovoltaic parameters were analyzed to determine any shifts.
Testing showed that light soaking affected the photovoltaic performance of the solar cells. Among the conditions tested on similar devices, 85 degrees celsius produced the best overall performance, which had increases in Voc, fill factor (FF), and efficiency. Meanwhile, longer light-soaking times showed to reduce performance in some cells, suggesting that excessive exposure can lead to degradation.
These results show that light soaking can improve CdTe solar cell performance when the treatment conditions are optimized. A light-soaking condition of 85 degrees celsius may help improve device performance while reducing the effects of degradation caused by excessive exposure.