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Is conversion efficiency still relevant to qualify advanced multi‐junction solar cells?
Author(s) -
Vossier Alexis,
Riverola Alberto,
Chemisana Daniel,
Dollet Alain,
Gueymard Christian A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/pip.2853
Subject(s) - sunlight , photovoltaic system , energy conversion efficiency , range (aeronautics) , materials science , electricity , spectral sensitivity , environmental science , solar energy , yield (engineering) , computer science , optoelectronics , engineering physics , optics , wavelength , physics , electrical engineering , engineering , composite material
For better conversion of sunlight into electricity, advanced architectures of multi‐junction (MJ) solar cells include increasing numbers of subcells. The Achilles' heel of these cells lies in their increased sensitivity to the spectral distribution of sunlight, which is likely to significantly alter their performance during real working operation. This study investigates the capacity of MJ solar cells comprising up to 10 subcells to accommodate a wide range of spectral characteristics of the incident radiation. A systematic study is performed, aimed at a realistic estimation of the energy output of MJ‐based concentrating photovoltaic systems at characteristic locations selected to represent a large range of climatic conditions. We show that optimal MJ architectures could have between 4 and 7 subcells. Beyond seven subcells, the slight gains in peak efficiency are likely outweighed by detrimental increases in dependence on local conditions and in annual yield variability. The relevance of considering either conversion efficiency or modeled energy output as the most appropriate indicator of the cell performance, when considering advanced architectures of MJ solar cells, is also discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.