The Himalayan Physics Vol.

6 & 7, April 2017 (37-40) ISSN 2542-2545

Low-cost Instrument for Characterization of Solar Cells

Prakash Joshi
Department of Physic, Bhaktapur Multipal Campus
Email: [email protected]

Abstracts: A low cost home-made instrument for characterization of solar cells has provided reliable data for drawing
current versus voltage curves of the solar cells under test. The low cost instrument can be an alternative to high-cost
standard instruments used for testing solar cells by determining light-to-electricity conversion efficiencies of the solar
cells. Calibrations of commercially available mini-solar panels (silicon cells) with respect to a standard pyranometer
(SolData) show that the mini-panels can measure solar radiation.
Key words: Solar cells, I-V curves, Characterization of solar cells, Light-to-electricity conversion efficiency

1. Background solar spectrum [5]. The source meter generates variable

Solar energy is a renewable and clean source of energy and voltages which are applied across the solar cell and the
it is available all over the world at free cost. A solar cell corresponding values of the current generated by the solar
converts light into electricity directly. Solar panels (often cell are simultaneously recorded along with the applied
called photovoltaic or PV panels) can be installed nearby voltages. From the current (I) versus voltage (V) curve of
their users minimizing the cost required for transmission the solar cell, the efficiency of the solar cell is calculated [6].
of the electricity from the panels to the users. Thus, PV In order to accelerate photovoltaic research in Nepal, the
panels are gaining popularity these days [1]. However, the photovoltaic laboratories should be well-equipped with
electricity generated from PV panels is only about 0.1% of standard instruments like solar simulators with source
the electricity generated throughout the world; one of reasons meters. However, commercially available such instruments
of this negligibly small amount of the solar electricity is its are very expensive. For example, a solar simulator with a
higher price compared with the electricity generated from source meter from Solaronix (Sunirad A-45) costs about
fossil fuels--conventional source of energy [2]. Efforts are fifty thousand US dollars (personal communication, Sep
being made to develop low-cost and efficient PV panels to 18, 2013). The high cost of such instruments may cause
reduce the cost of the solar electricity. Hence, extensive and unavailability of such instruments in the research laboratories
intensive photovoltaic research activities are being carried which are running under low budgets in Nepal and the lack
out in various laboratories and research centers scattered in of such instruments may hinder the progress in photovoltaic
both developed and developing countries. In this regards, research activities undertaken by such laboratories.
some institutes/research center in Nepal have initiated In this work, the author has presented a low-cost method
research on fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). for obtaining I-V curve of solar cells tested in natural
DSCs are considered as low cost and high efficiency solar sunlight following similar method reported by Steamtred
cells [3]. [7]. Moreover, commercially available low-cost mini-solar
The light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of a solar panels were successfully calibrated as reference cells with
cell is defined as the ratio of the power density delivered respect to a standard pyranometer (SolData) so that the
by the solar cell to the power density of the incident light mini-solar panels can be used to measure the incident solar
on the solar cell [4]. Performance of a solar cell is often radiation on the device under test. The reliability of the low-
evaluated by determining its efficiency; the efficiency of cost instrument and method used to calculate efficiencies
the solar cell can be measured by running an experiment of solar cells were tested by comparing the measured
using a solar simulator with a source meter in a laboratory. efficiencies of the mini-panels with their standard values.
A solar simulator simulates solar spectrum at the laboratory
and the solar cell under test is exposed to the stimulated

37
 Prakash Joshi
panels was measured using SolData, commercially available
pyranometer. In order to calculate the efficiencies of the
solar cells in the natural solar radiation (without using a
solar simulator), the intensity of input solar radiation is to
be measured.

Figure 1: Circuit diagram of the home-made instrument used for

characterization of solar cells by obtaining current versus voltage
(I-V) curve.

Figure 3: Photograph of commercially available mini-solar panels

(Model: SBE5949, S2: SBE5050, and S3: SBE7560).

Figure 2: Photograph of the experimental set up for

characterization of solar cells by obtaining current versus Figure 4: Circuit diagram for calibration of mini-solar panel (S1,
S2, and S3) for measuring input solar radiation on solar cells.
voltage (I-V) curve.
This task was carried out at low-cost by using commercially
Figure 1 shows the circuit diagram of the home-made available silicon based mini-solar panels (S1, S2, and S3;
instrument used for characterization of solar cells by Figure 3 is the photograph of S2 and S3), which were
obtaining current versus voltage (I-V) curve. Figure 2 is the calibrated with a standard pyranometer (SolData). Figure 4
photograph of the experimental set up for characterization shows the circuit diagram used for the calibration of mini-
of solar cells by obtaining I-V curve. In order to test solar panels (S1, S2, and S3) aiming them to use as reference
reliability of the testing instruments, commercially available cells for measuring input solar radiation. The procedures for
mini-solar panels (Model: S1: SBE5949, S2: SBE5050, the calibration are described below. First, a voltage divider
and S3: SBE7560) were purchased via ebay and they were across each of illuminated mini-solar panel (S1, S2, and S3)
used as solar cells under test [8-10]. Digital multimeters was made as shown in Figure 4. In case of S1 and S2, voltage
(UNi-T/UT33D, SZBJ/BM8320) were used as required dividers were made using two 100 Ω resistors in series and
voltmeter and ammeter for the circuit. Decade resistance a voltmeter (multi-meter) was connected across a 100 Ω
box and rheostat were used as a variable resistance (load) resistor. In the case of S3, three 100 Ω resistors were used
across the solar cells under test. The device under the test for making a voltage divider and a voltmeter was connected
(the mini- solar panels not dye-sensitized solar cells) were across 200 Ω resistor (two 100 Ω resistors in series). The S1,
kept on a horizontal position, and the natural solar radiation S2, S3 (each with a voltage divider circuit along), and the
was allowed to be incident on the mini- solar panels. The SolData were arranged in a horizontal position. They were
incident solar intensity (global radiation flux) on the solar illuminated in natural sunshine simultaneously. Voltages

The Himalayan Physics Vol. 6 & 7, April 2017 38

 Low-cost Instrument for Characterization of Solar Cells
measured by volt meters connected across S1, S2, S3, and
SolData were simultaneously recorded for several hours,
then the correlation of the voltages produced across S1, S2,
S3, and SolData were studied.

2. Results and analysis

The I-V curves obtained using the home-build instrument for
mini-solar panels S1, S2, and S3 are shown in figure 5. The
I-V curves are good enough to calculate maximum output
power density enabling us to calculate the efficiencies of the
solar cells under test.
Table 1: Comparison of efficiencies of S1, S2, and S3 measured
using the home-built solar cell testing instrument with their
standard values of efficiencies.
Efficiency (%)
Mini solar panel S1 S2 S3
Measured 10.43 14.66 13.93
Standard 16 16 16
Table 1 shows comparison of efficiencies of S1, S2, and S3
measured with the home-build solar cell testing instrument
with their standard values of efficiencies. The calculated Figure 5: Linear fits of the voltages generated by illuminated
efficiencies of the mini-panels except S1 are comparable SolData with corresponding voltages generated by a) illuminated
with their standard values of the efficiencies (~16 %) [11-13]. mini-solar panels S1, b) illuminated mini-solar panels S2, and c)
Slightly lower values of efficiencies of S3 and S2 compared illuminated mini-solar panels S3.
with their standard values may be due to the degradation Figure 5 shows linear fits of the voltages generated by
of efficiencies of the mini-solar panels. Errors in accurate illuminated mini-solar panels S1, S2, and S3 with the
measurements of the active areas of the solar panels and corresponding voltages generated by illuminated SolData.
incident solar radiation intensities are probable other causes The correlations of voltages produced by S1, S2, and S3 with
of the deviation. In case of panel S1, the manufacturing SolData show that the values of R2 for S3, S2, and S1 are
defect may be another cause of the lower measured value of 0.9436, 0.8832, and 0.4864, respectively. This indicates that
the efficiency than its standard value of the efficiency. S3 can be the best candidate to replace the pyranometer for
measurement of the intensity of the incident solar radiation
on the device under test. Similarly, S2 can also serve the
purpose with a good accuracy.

Cost estimation of the home-made instrument for

characterization of solar cells
Major components used for the construction of the home-
made instrument for characterization of solar cells are
mini-solar panels (silicon solar cells), decade resistance
box, and rheostats. Except the silicon solar cells, the other
components of the instrument are generally available at
undergraduate level physics laboratories. The total cost of
the mini-solar cells (S1, S2, and S3) cost is less than US$ 15

39 The Himalayan Physics Vol. 6 & 7, April 2017

 Prakash Joshi
[8-10]. In contrast, the cost of a solar simulator and a source application. Retrieved Jan 25, 2015, from http://
meter used for characterization of solar cells in a standard photoemission.com/techpapers/A%20step%20by%20
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Simulator%20Ver.%203.pdf
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A home-made instrument for characterization of solar cells Cells and Panels Using the Keithley Model 2450
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Acknowledgments [8] ebay (Aug 18, 2014), 4V x 125 mA. Mini Solar Panel
This research work has been carried out at Bhaktapur epoxy encapsulated virtually indestructible .5W.
Multiple Campus (BMC) and the author is thankful to the Retrieved Aug 18, 2014, from http://www.ebay.com/
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Pushkar Suwal, lecture of Kwopa Engineering College, and Aug 18, 2014, from http://www.ebay.com/itm/1V-
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The Himalayan Physics Vol. 6 & 7, April 2017 40