Silicon Solar Cells at Low Temperature

Electrical characteristics of n-p silicon solar cells have been obtained experimentally over the temperature range of +28 to -175° and for illumination intensities from 140 to 1.5 mW/cm2. Critical parameters and their distribution are presented for several hundred solar cells from various manufacturers. The effect of cell selection either to a minimum power output at 28° at 5 mW/cm2 or to a minimum open-circuit voltage at -128° at 5.16 mW/cm2 upon the magnitude and distribution of the critical parameters is investigated. Considerable differences are noted, not just between cells, but also between lots from various manufacturers. Correlation analysis reveals no parameter which when measured at room temperature will predict the power output at low temperatures. This is due to a number of anomalies of the output characteristics at low temperature. These are a lack of the open voltage to continue to increase with decreasing temperature and a double break in the current-voltage characteristics. In addition, some cells show low shunt resistance which makes them have a poor performance at low intensities.