Methods to determine the dc parameters of solar cells: A critical review

This review article critically outlines and discusses the main issues of 34 methods which have been developed and validated over the past 35 years in order to determine with an acceptable accuracy and reliability fundamental parameters of solar cells. This review covers methodologies which deal with current-voltage characteristic (I-V) analysis either theoretically through elaborated models and/or treated graphically. Methodologies based on the theoretical analysis of the I-V characteristics using the one or two diode model are discussed. The investigation on the I-V characteristics is processed via statistical functions, non-linear regression and stochastic models. A second family of methods to determine the solar cell electric parameters comprises the ones which deal with the graphical treatment and analysis of the I-V characteristics which are measured at different environmental conditions. To the third family belong the methods which use a mix approach of theoretical analysis of the I-V characteristics through modeling on one hand and the graphical analysis of their experimental configuration, on the other. The paper comments on each of the 34 methods and provides pros and cons for the determination of the fundamental electric parameters of solar cells. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.