A comparative study of extraction methods for solar cell model parameters

Abstract

A comparative study of three methods for extracting solar cell parameters of the single-diode lumped-circuit model is presented. The methods compared are the curve-fitting method, an iterative 5-point method and a recently proposed analytical 5-point method. Parameter values were extracted using these three methods from experimental characteristics collected from two silicon cells over a range of illuminations and temperatures. The results show that the curve-fitting method can often give erroneous parameter values and the reasons for the errors are discussed. The 5-point methods are found to be reliable and accurate in situations where the model is a good approximation of cell performance. The analytical 5-point method, however, has the added advantage of simplicity. It is also found that for the cell measured, the single diode model is valid at illuminations above one-half AM1 but gives non-physical parameter values at lower illumination. © 1986.