A three diode model for industrial solar cells and estimation of solar cell parameters using PSO algorithm

A new lumped-parameter equivalent circuit model using three-diodes is presented in this work for large area (similar to 154.8 cm(2)) industrial silicon solar cells. The estimation of values of ideality factors n(1) (>1) and n(2) (>2) using a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm for the two-diode model of the industrial samples has been found not to be in conformity with the theoretical values (n(1) = 1 and n(2) = 2 in the literature). The two diodes of the two-diode model are not able to define the different current components of the solar cells clearly. A model with three-diodes has been proposed to better explain the experimental data. In the proposed model, we considered the series resistance, R-s, of the solar cell to vary with the current flowing through the solar cell device. All the parameters of the proposed model have been estimated using a PSO algorithm and they were compared with the parameters of the two-diode model. The new model has been found to be a better model to define clearly the different current components of the large size industrial silicon solar cells. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.