A method for estimating temperature dependent short circuit current

Solar cell models that can be embedded easily into optical modeling programs have proven to be useful to study the tradeoffs inherent between the optics and solar cells in concentrating photovoltaic systems. In addition to modeling the optics and photovoltaics at 25°C, system designers would like to study the range of temperatures the system will experience during terrestrial operation. Methods for estimating temperature-dependent open-circuit voltage and fill factor have been shown. This leaves the need to accurately estimate the short-circuit current as a function of temperature. In this paper measured EQE for a GaInP/GaInAs/Ge tandem stack has been used to calculate the short-circuit current over a range of operating temperatures. This method can easily be used to conduct system level analysis in any type of solar cell system from flat plate panels to concentrator photovoltaic systems that contain complicated optics.