The current-voltage (I-V) curve for a PV cell shows that the current is essentially constant over a range of output voltages for a specified amount of incident light energy. Figure 1: Typical I-V Characteristic Curve for a PV Cell Figure 1 shows a typical I-V curve for which the short-circuit output current, ISC is 2 A.
The PV characteristic curve, which is widely known as the I–V curve, is the representation of the electrical behavior describing a solar cell, PV module, PV panel, or an array under different ambient conditions, which are usually provided in a typical manufacturer’s datasheet.
Other important characteristics include how the current varies as a function of the output voltage and as a function of light intensity or irradiance. The current-voltage (I-V) curve for a PV cell shows that the current is essentially constant over a range of output voltages for a specified amount of incident light energy.
The IV curve of a solar cell is the superposition of the IV curve in the dark with the light-generated current. Illumination shifts the IV curve down into the fourth quadrant where power can be extracted from the diode. Illuminating a cell adds to the normal "dark" currents in the diode so that the diode law becomes:
Photovoltaic cells (PV) are tools used for the effective and sustainable conversion of the abundant and radiant light energy from the sun into electrical energy [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. In its basic form, a PV is an interconnection of multiple solar cells aimed at achieving maximum energy output (see Figure 1).
The output power of the PV cell is voltage times current, so there is no output power for a short-circuit condition because of VOUT or for an open-circuit condition because of IOUT = 0. Above the short-circuit point, the PV cell operates with a resistive load.
PV Cell Current-Voltage (I-V) Curves. The current-voltage (I-V) curve for a PV cell shows that the current is essentially constant over a range of output voltages for a specified amount of incident light energy. Figure 1: Typical I-V Characteristic …