An Assessment on the Impact of the Solar Spectrum on Different PV Materials in Sunny Sites by Using Different Time Scales

Abstract

This chapter is addressed at analyzing how the performance of some photovoltaic (PV) materials is influenced by the solar spectrum distribution according to the months of the year. Spectral responses of four different PV technologies—amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, copper indium diselenide, and monocrystalline silicon—have been used to develop this study. Spectra and incident global irradiance were scanned at 5-min intervals in two inland sunny sites located in Spain during a 12-month experimental period. Regarding the results, it was concluded that amorphous silicon and cadmium telluride PV modules undergo the highest differences of monthly spectral gains over the year. Much slighter seasonal variations of these gains are perceptible in the other two considered PV technologies. Specifically in the two locations analyzed, spectral gains range from approximately − 12 % (January) to around 2 % (June) for the amorphous silicon (a-Si) PV module while such gains range from values close to 0 % (April to September, inclusive) to values slightly lower than − 2 % (December) for the copper indium diselenide (CIS) and monocrystalline silicon (m-Si) PV module. Prevailing “red-rich” and “blue-rich” spectra in winter and summer, respectively, could explain these results.