How modeling can attract experimentalists to improve solar cell’s efficiency: Divide-and-conquer approach

Abstract

In view of current energy crisis, scientists are increasingly trying hard to find affordable energy sources alternative to fossil fuel. Solar energy is one such alternative energy source which is being more vigorously pursued now than ever. While there is a host of literature on modeling different kinds of solar cells often with a motive about how to enhance the efficiency of a solar cell, this modeling effort did not become very attractive to the experimentalists. We attempt to present here the possible causes for unattractiveness and suggest a practical remedy based on divide and conquerapproach, that involves a series of local (stage-by-stage) models which are validated against the corresponding experimental result and finally combined to produce a global mathematical model that works and that satisfies the experimentalists. Besides, the ease of usage of the model by the experimentalist is important and hence is required.