TY - GEN
T1 - Improved outdoor measurements for very high efficiency solar cell sub-modules
AU - Wang, Xiaoting
AU - Waite, Nick
AU - Murcia, Paola
AU - Emery, Keith
AU - Steiner, Myles
AU - Kiamilev, Fouad
AU - Goossen, Keith
AU - Honsberg, Christiana
AU - Barnett, Allen
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Very High Efficiency Solar Cell (VHESC) program is developing integrated optical/photovoltaic modules for portable applications that operate at 50 percent efficiency. Test sub-modules incorporating four p-n junctions and corresponding optics have been realized and are predicted to realize efficiency greater than 40%. Phased implementation requires corresponding measurement to inspect accomplished work and provide improvement direction for the next step. The comparison between the real performance of the four-junction test sub-module and the theoretical prediction of its efficiency is a significant indication of the realizability of the final VHESC module including six junctions which is designed to achieve 50% efficiency. For the sub-module measurement, a test bed was set up for outdoor test. Previous outdoor measurements of the VHESC test sub-modules resulted in a preliminary sub-module efficiency of 36.2% [1]. As solar cells with better performance were fabricated, the measurement methodology was refined and corresponding improvements were made to the initial test bed. Three test sub-modules containing new solar cells were measured with the new test setup for three different concentration levels at University of Delaware (UD). One test sub-module demonstrated efficiency as high as 39.5%, coupled with 44.3% efficient solar cells and 89.1% efficient optics, at 30.48X concentration. The measurements were taken when the direct light intensity was over 860W/m2 and the Isc was not calibrated to 1000W/m2. Another two test sub-modules including solar cells in the same batch as the ones tested at UD were taken to National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The Isc data of the two test sub-modules were recorded outdoors at NREL when the direct light intensity was over 970 W/m 2. In addition, the Isc was calibrated to the standard spectrum condition using ASTM G173 direct data. Comparison of the results shows the difference between the test sub-module efficiency measured at UD and NREL is less than 4%.
AB - Very High Efficiency Solar Cell (VHESC) program is developing integrated optical/photovoltaic modules for portable applications that operate at 50 percent efficiency. Test sub-modules incorporating four p-n junctions and corresponding optics have been realized and are predicted to realize efficiency greater than 40%. Phased implementation requires corresponding measurement to inspect accomplished work and provide improvement direction for the next step. The comparison between the real performance of the four-junction test sub-module and the theoretical prediction of its efficiency is a significant indication of the realizability of the final VHESC module including six junctions which is designed to achieve 50% efficiency. For the sub-module measurement, a test bed was set up for outdoor test. Previous outdoor measurements of the VHESC test sub-modules resulted in a preliminary sub-module efficiency of 36.2% [1]. As solar cells with better performance were fabricated, the measurement methodology was refined and corresponding improvements were made to the initial test bed. Three test sub-modules containing new solar cells were measured with the new test setup for three different concentration levels at University of Delaware (UD). One test sub-module demonstrated efficiency as high as 39.5%, coupled with 44.3% efficient solar cells and 89.1% efficient optics, at 30.48X concentration. The measurements were taken when the direct light intensity was over 860W/m2 and the Isc was not calibrated to 1000W/m2. Another two test sub-modules including solar cells in the same batch as the ones tested at UD were taken to National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The Isc data of the two test sub-modules were recorded outdoors at NREL when the direct light intensity was over 970 W/m 2. In addition, the Isc was calibrated to the standard spectrum condition using ASTM G173 direct data. Comparison of the results shows the difference between the test sub-module efficiency measured at UD and NREL is less than 4%.
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U2 - 10.1109/PVSC.2009.5411652
DO - 10.1109/PVSC.2009.5411652
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:77951584082
SN - 9781424429509
T3 - Conference Record of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference
SP - 409
EP - 414
BT - 2009 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2009
T2 - 2009 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2009
Y2 - 7 June 2009 through 12 June 2009
ER -