Performance of Solar Energy Converters: Thermal Collectors and Photovoltaic Cells: Lectures of a Course Held at the Joint Research Centre, Ispra, ItalPaperback - Softcover Reprint of the Original 1st 1983, 21 May 2012

Solar cell and solar cell module have to be tested for their performance, i.e. their ability to produce electrical power under well-defined conditions of illumination and temperature. The need for performance measurements arises at various stages of development, design and production from different requirement: at the development level, the main objective is to as ess the performance of a new concept in comparison with state-of-the-art competitors; at the design level, performance data are required as input for the izing and dimensions of photovoltaic y tem operating under certain environmental conditions; at the produc- tion level, the cells and modules must be acceptance te ted against a set of specifications in order to separate deliverables from reject . For accurate performance measurements and calibration, several methods exist which can be generally categorised into two clas e: outdoor methods in natural sunlight, and indoor method, u ing imulated unlight or indirect analytical method . Depending on the purpose of a performance test, each of these method can offer specific advantage . Therefore, the various methods are not to be looked at as competing, but rather as complementary tool for the achievement of accurate electrical performance measurement .