Influence of thermal effect on the efficiency of a solar cell

The short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage of a solar cell based on the p-n junction are studied theoretically, taking into account the thermoemf originating due to the temperature difference between the front and back surfaces of the solar cell. It is shown that the consideration of the thermal motion of photogenerated carriers leads to the increase in the collection coefficient. Calculations show that at the irradiation intensity 5 × 10 photon/cm s and at the temperature gradient ∼ 30–40°C for silicon solar cells the open circuit voltage increases by ∼ 6–7% and the short circuit current by ∼40–50%.