Photovoltaic Characterization

Purpose:

Identify the power maximum and efficiency of solar cells

 

Method:

Measuring voltage and current of a polycrystalline and polymer solar cell while varying resistance with potentiometer

 

Outcome:

Efficiencies of cells calculated within expected ranges

 

Polycrystalline: η = 12.51%

 

Polymer: η = 2.19%

 

Collaborator Justin Smith with our outdoor setup

Solar Cell Types:

Polycrystalline, Polymer

 

Potentiometers:

1k, 2k, 5k

 

Arduino motor used to rotate potentiometer and vary resistance

 

PASCO Bluetooth Voltmeter and Ammeter

 

Recording software: SparkVue

Characteristic IV

Background

Solar cells have a “characteristic” IV curve which ranges from their short-circuit current (where V =0) to their open-circuit voltage (I=0).

 

Between these two points is a power maximum. This is given by the point (Vmp, Imp).

 

The power output of the panel is a function of the resistance of the load. As the resistance changes from 0 to Rmax We move along the curve from Isc to Voc

Characteristic IV

Direct Normal Irradiance

   

Irradiance: Time average of the power delivered per unit area

 

Units: W/m^2

 

For this project, solar panels were ensured to be oriented directly to the sun for the purpose of using existing DNI data to calculate power in.

Direct Normal IRRADIATION data was collected from https://globalsolaratlas.info.

 

We specified the latitude and longitude of our setup and used the chart to determine the correct amount of power in for the time of day.