Solar Cell

Vellore Institute of Technology BPHY101P Engineering Physics Lab Manual
To determine the fill factor and efficiency of a solar cell.
Solar Cell, Light Source (100 Watt), Ammeter, Voltmeter, Variable Load Circuit, Connecting Wires
The Solar cell is a semiconductor device that converts solar energy into electrical energy. It is a
specially designed PN junction diode that converts sunlight into electrical power by a three-step
process: (i) Generation of carrier pairs (electron-hole pairs), (ii) Separation of electrons and holes, (iii)
Collection of separated carriers. When the PN junction is exposed to light, electron-hole pairs are
generated in the P and N regions. By diffusion in the material, the electron and holes reach the
junction. The barrier field separates the positive and negative charge carriers at the junction. That is,
under the action of the electric field, the electrons (minority carriers) from the P region are swept into
the N region. Similarly, the holes from the N region are swept into the P region. The accumulation of
charges on the two sides of the junction produces an emf (Voltage), called a photo-emf/Photo-voltage.
The photo emf or voltage can be measured with a voltmeter, and this optical energy conversion is
known as the photovoltaic effect. Therefore, a solar cell is also called a photovoltaic cell. When an
external circuit (load) is connected across the solar cell terminals, the minority carriers return to their
original sides through the external circuit, causing the current to flow through the circuit. Thus, the
solar cell behaves as a battery with the N side as the negative terminal and the P side as the positive
terminal.
Light Energy
Metal Contact
Anti-Reﬂection
External
Coating
Load
(a) (b)
Figure1: (a) Solar cell working principle (b) Equivalent circuit diagram of Solar cell experiment
The emf is generated by the solar cell in the open circuit, i.e., when no current is drawn from it, and is
denoted by VOC (V-open circuit). This is the maximum value of voltage that can be generated by the
solar cell. When an external (load of high resistance) is connected in the circuit, a small current flows
through it, and the corresponding voltage decreases. The voltage goes on falling, and the current
increases as the resistance in the external circuit is reduced. When the load resistance is reduced to
zero, the current rises to its maximum value, known as short-circuit/saturation current, and is denoted
as ISC; the voltage becomes zero in this case. Figure 2 shows the I-V characteristic of a solar cell with
its VOC and ISC.
Figure2:Current-Voltage(I-V) and Power-Voltage (P-V) characteristics of Solar cell
The product of open circuit voltage V OC and short circuit current ISC is the (ideal) power that can be
generated from a solar cell and it can be calculated as:
However, the maximum power (Pmax) that can be harvested from the solar is the area of the largest
rectangle that can be formed under the I-V curve (see Fig-2). It is calculated from the corresponding
Current (Imp) and Voltage (Vmp) at that condition as:
The corresponding fill factor (FF) can be calculated by taking the ratio of the maximum power to the
ideal power as:
If AC is the area of the solar cell and W is the incident intensity, then the efficiency (h) of the solar cell
is calculated as:
1. Place the solar cell and the light source (100-watt lamp) opposite to each other.
2. Connect the circuit as shown by dotted lines on the circuit board (See Fig. 1) using connecting
cables.
Load Distance (x) in mm: ----------------; Intensity of Light: ---

Resistance -----------------
3. Switch ON the lamp to expose the light onto the Solar Cell.
4. Set a suitable distance between the solar cell and the lamp as mentioned in the solar kit (Note:
The gap between the solar panel edge to the tin-lamp box edge is the actual distance)
5. Break the circuit by plugging out any cable to measure the open circuit voltage VOC
6. Set the load-resistance knob to Short-Circuit mode and measure the corresponding short-
circuit current ISC.
7. Vary the load resistance through the knob switch and note down the current and voltage
corresponds to each load resistance in the observation Table 1
8. Repeat it for different distances to minimise the error in the experiment.
9. Plot a graph of current (I) versus Voltage (V). Plot a graph of Power (P) versus Voltage (V).
From the plot, find the maximum power (Pmax) and the corresponding Current (Imp) and
Voltage (Vmp).
Voltmeter reading for open circuit and Millimetre reading with zero resistance are
VOC:-------------------------- ; ISC:------------------- ;
Voltage (V) Current (mA) Power (mW)
From the graph and observation table, the fill factor (FF) and the efficiency (h) can be calculated by
using the values of VOC, ISC, Vmp, Imp :
Compare your calculated value of efficiency (h) to the standard value, h0.
At a given distance, x=………. mm
1. The fill factor of the give solar cell is found to be, FF = ....................
2. The efficiency of the give solar cell is found to be, h = …………….
1…………………………………………….
2…………………………………………….
3…………………………………………….
1. The solar cell should be exposed to light before using it in the experiment.
2. Light from the lamp should fall normally on the cell.
3. Distance should be appropriately measured using a scale
4. The load resistance should be used within a safe current limit.
1. What is the difference between a solar cell and a photodiode?

2. Why are solar cells known as photovoltaic cells?
3. What are the types of semiconductor materials used for solar cells?
4. What is Dark current?
5. What is the difference between solar photovoltaic and solar hot water systems?
6. What is the response time of a photocell?
7. What is the role of load resistance in solar cell experiment
ESTIMATING CRYSTALLITE SIZE FROM XRD PATTERN
Objective:
To determine the average crystallite size from the given X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern
of a polycrystalline material.
Tools Required:

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Vellore Institute of Technology BPHY101P Engineering Physics Lab Manual

To determine the fill factor and efficiency of a solar cell.

Figure2:Current-Voltage(I-V) and Power-Voltage (P-V) characteristics of Solar cell

Load Distance (x) in mm: ----------------; Intensity of Light: ---

circuit current ISC.

corresponds to each load resistance in the observation Table 1

8. Repeat it for different distances to minimise the error in the experiment.

Voltage (V) Current (mA) Power (mW)

At a given distance, x=………. mm

1. What is the difference between a solar cell and a photodiode?

ESTIMATING CRYSTALLITE SIZE FROM XRD PATTERN

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