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Yield Analysis and Comparison of GaInP/Si and GaInP/GaAs Multi-Terminal Tandem Solar Cells

Conference ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5049319· OSTI ID:1468516
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3]
  1. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH)
  3. Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH); Leibniz Universitat Hannover
+ Show Author Affiliations

We present a yield analysis of tandem devices consisting of GaInP top cells on Si or GaAs bottom cells with different terminal configurations. Inputs are the I-V and external quantum efficiency of the individual subcells and the irradiance-dependent module temperature of the bottom cell. Our model calculates the temperature of the tandem module by taking into account the performance, spectral working range and luminescent coupling of the different tandem devices, enabling an irradiance- and weather-dependent yield analysis for these modules. We apply the model to compare two types of two junction devices, a GaInP/GaAs monolithically grown tandem device, and a GaInP top cell stacked on a Si bottom cell, the present two best dual junction devices. When the subcells are series connected both technologies perform equally well. The performance of the GaInP/Si can be significantly improved relatively by 5.8% using 3-terminal (3T) devices with a back-contacted bottom cell instead of a 2T configuration, showing a possible benefit when using Si back contacted cells. For GaInP/Si, the 3T-device works as well as the 4T-device, enabling the integration of monolithic tandem cells into modules at comparably high efficiencies.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1468516
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-5900-71152
Resource Relation:
Conference: Presented at the 8th International Conference on Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics, 19-21 March 2018, Lausanne, Switzerland
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
terminal configurations
tandem module
cells