Phys.org June 14, 2023
Little is known about the operational temperature which is critical in a solar cell’s ability to convert sunlight to free energy. Researchers in Israel analyzed the photovoltaic effect while assuming a fixed ambient temperature and a varying system temperature rather than using the standard fixed system temperature–based approaches. They studied the potential-dependent current and temperature of solar cells and thermoradiative power generators and showed that the optimal band gap of a solar cell depends on its heat-transfer coefficient and that its efficiency may rise or fall as solar concentration increases, depending on its ability to dissipate heat. They also identified where the cell’s efficiency and temperature turn from a conductive and/or convective-dominated cooling regime to a radiative-dominated one. The proposed model converges to the known fixed system temperature–based approaches when an infinite ability to transfer heat is considered… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
The system under consideration comprises a cell that receives radiative heat… Credit: Phys. Rev. Applied 19, 064023, 7 June 2023