The Outdoor Field Test and Energy Yield Model of the Four-Terminal on Si Tandem PV Module

Kenji Araki,Hiromu Saiki,Hiroki Tawa,Yasuyuki Ota,Kensuke Nishioka,Masafumi Yamaguchi

doi:10.3390/app10072529

Kenji Araki, Hiromu Saiki + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/app10072529

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Abstract

The outdoor field test of the 4-terminal on Si tandem photovoltaic module (specifically, InGaP/GaAs on Si) was investigated and a performance model, considering spectrum change affected by fluctuation of atmospheric parameters, was developed and validated. The 4-terminal on Si tandem photovoltaic module had about 40% advantage in seasonal performance loss compared with standard InGaP/GaAs/InGaAs 2-terminal tandem photovoltaic module. This advantage increases (subarctic zone < temperate zone < subtropical zone). The developed and validated model used an all-climate spectrum model and considered fluctuation of atmospheric parameters. It can be applied every type of on-Si tandem solar cells.

Highlights

High efficiency is the typical research target of photovoltaic technology
On-Si tandem is one of them, and it has a distinct advantage of cost, using well-established Si solar cell technology
The intensive study on concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) performance in more than 20 years revealed that the fluctuation of atmospheric parameters played an essential role

Summary

Introduction

High efficiency is the typical research target of photovoltaic technology. it is known through field experience and theoretical analysis considering spectrum fluctuation that the photovoltaic system that wins the race of efficiency does not always gain the best yield in the real installation [1,2,3,4].Currently, the Si solar cell has commonly prevailed in the market. High efficiency is the typical research target of photovoltaic technology. It is known through field experience and theoretical analysis considering spectrum fluctuation that the photovoltaic system that wins the race of efficiency does not always gain the best yield in the real installation [1,2,3,4]. For further improvement of efficiency, multi-junction or tandem configuration is preferred. The idea of multi-junction cells was suggested [7] and investigated [8] in the early days of photovoltaic technology. Significant progress was triggered by AlGaAs/GaAs tandem cells with tunnel junctions [9] and metal interconnections [10,11,12]

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