Gamma distribution excess minority carrier concentration model for solar cell performance modeling

Abstract

Concentrated photovoltaic (PV) technology represents a growing market in the field of terrestrial solar energy production. As the demand for renewable energy technologies increases, further importance is placed on the modeling, design, and simulation of these systems. Given the cultural shift toward energy awareness and conservation, several concentrated PV systems have been installed across the world. This research presents a new model for carrier concentration within a solar cell. The goal of this innovation is to facilitate the determination of the steady-state operating temperature as a function of the concentration factor for the optical part of the concentrated PV system, to calculate the optimum concentration that maximizes power output and efficiency. This model will be shown to produce a more realistic estimate of the current through a solar cell, which will enable further research into dynamic thermal modeling.