ABSTRACT
A semiconductor photovoltaic cell converts solar energy directly into electrical energy by means of a p-n junction. The temperature effects already considered were incorporated into the equations governing photovoltaic energy conversion, and conversion performance was calculated as a function of temperature. Semiconductors with band gaps ranging from 0.7 to 2.4eV were studied over a temperature range of 0–400°C. The optimum conversion performance is obtained when the junction current is the ideal current. The optimum material for solar energy conversion is a function of temperature. The temperature measurements on solar cells agree quite well with theory as far as the rate of decrease with temperature is concerned. The temperature dependence of the lifetime arises from the exponential terms in the foregoing equations. The factors which make the conversion process temperature dependent are introduced by the properties of the semiconductor and the behaviour of p–n junctions.
