Solar cells in the dark

So far, all the simulations we have run have been performed in the light. This is a logical, as usually we are interested in solar cell performance only in the light. However, a lot of interesting information can be gained about solar cells by studying their performance in the dark. We are now going to turn off the light in the simulation. From the 'Home' tab set the light intensity to 0.0 Suns. The photons in the 3D image should disappear as seen in figure .

Figure: Running gpvdm in the dark.

Figure: A sketch of a typical dark JV curve.

Now set the shunt resistance to 1MΩ, and run a simulation. Plot the jv curve. It is customary to plot jv curves on a x-linear y-log scale. To do this in the plot window, hit the 'l' key to do this. The shape should resemble, the JV curve in figure . Certain solar cell parameters affect different parts of the dark JV curve differently, the lower region is affected very strongly by shunt resistance, the middle part is affected strongly by recombination, and the upper part is strongly affected by the series resistance.