Modeling the impact of different wavelengths of sunlight on the performance of a silicon photovoltaic (PV) cell

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Résumé

LEDs on PV cell performance. However, theoretical analyses of wavelength-specific effects remain
limited. This work addresses this gap using a 1-D model to investigate the impact of different
wavelengths of sunlight on the performance of a silicon PV cell, addressing the limitations of
experimental studies. In this work, 1-D theoretical analysis considers the wavelength ranges or color of
incident sunlight to analyze their effects on short-circuit current density, open-circuit voltage, and
performance parameters such as conversion efficiency (η), series resistance (Rs), and shunt resistance
(Rsh). The analysis focuses on the effects of visible light color (rainbow colors) on the performance
parameters (η, Rs, Rsh) and then the overall performance of the PV cell, classified according to the
colors of the rainbow. Simulation results show that the conversion efficiency and shunt resistance
reach their maximum values (ηmax = 32.383% at λ = 0.88 µm and Rshmax = 2429.928 Ω.cm² at λ = 0.80 µm)
in the near-infrared region, while the series resistance reaches its minimum value (Rsmin = 1.092 Ω.cm²
at λ = 0.70 µm) in the red region. The results also show that the overall performance, obtained by
considering the three performance parameters, decreases when the PV cell is successively illuminated
by red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet colored light. The practical implications of these results
could inform how to design PV cells for specific colors of sunlight.

Mots-clés

Photovoltaic (PV) cell, 1-D, rainbow colors, performance, modeling.