Enhanced Light-trapping in Solar Cells by Directional Selective Optical Filters

Abstract

AbstractDirectional selective optical filters increase the photon confinement of solar cells with a Lambertian light-trapping scheme. These filters restrict the transmission of incoming sunlight to a cone of limited acceptance angle. This paper models the efficiency gain or loss caused by an ideal directional and energy selective filter on top of a solar cell, and compares it to a cell with Lambertian surface and a planar absorber. The enhancement of light trapping by the directional filter is illustrated by the enhancement of the quantum efficiency of normally incident light. Simulations of the annual yield demonstrate that the improved light trapping results in an overall energy gain of more than 10 % for a tracked system.To achieve this gain at the equator,a filter with small acceptance angle of 5 ° that is active below the threshold energy ˜1.5 eV has to used.