Comparative study of commercial crystalline solar cells

Abstract

In this research article, a comparative study of different types, i.e., conventional (Multicrystalline & Monocrystalline) and Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) of commercially available crystalline silicon solar cells have been carried out in terms of their spectral response (SR), quantum efficiency (QE) and current–voltage (I-V) characteristics. The SR, Internal Quantum Efficiency (IQE), and External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) measurements have been utilized for analyzing the internal parameters such as diffusion length (L) and dead layer (dl) thickness values in all types of solar cells using Medium Wavelength Spectral Response (MWSR) and Short Wavelength Spectral Response (SWSR) methods respectively. The effect of surface passivation on the diffusion length has also been studied for mono, multi, and PERC crystalline solar cells. The results indicate that the PERC solar cells have a higher L and lower dl value and the probable reason for the high performance of this technology. The different types of solar cells are also converted into modules, and the I-V characterization is done with the Sun simulator and indicates the high performance of PERC modules. The paper also highlights one of the probable reasons for the recent PV market shift towards PERC technology.