Indoor and Outdoor Comparison of CPV III–V Multijunction Solar Cells

Concentrator III-V multijunction solar cells from seven vendors have been characterized via indoor flash test, outdoor on-sun test, and spectral response. Most vendors have achieved similar efficiency in both indoor flash test and on-sun test. The relative difference among different cell vendors changes in two tests because of their different spectral responses and temperature coefficients. The spectral sensitivity of III-V multijunction cells leads to performance variation in the field that is not always well predicted by traditional indoor flash test or instantaneous on-sun tests. The results for different epitaxial designs and limitations of the test methodologies are presented. The comparative results lead to future design modifications for maximum energy output.