Solar zenith angle, the angle between the zenith (vertical) and the sun, is useful in determining whether the sun is rising or setting and in predicting solar effects on radio communications.The smaller the solar zenith angle, the higher the sun…

Voltage at maximum power(Vmp) is the voltage at which maximum power is available from a photovoltaic module. Most solar panel manufacturers will specify the panel voltage at maximum power (Vmp). This voltage is typically around 70 – 80% of the…

Standard test conditions are defined as the solar irradiation of one kilowatt (kW) per square metre, a module temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and a solar irradiation angle of 45 degrees. The test gives the STC ratings. Standard Test Conditions create…

Performance Ratio (PR) of a plant for a period of time is energy measured(kWh)/(Irradiance(kWh/m2) on the panel x Active area of PV module(m2) x PV module efficiency). PR is a measure for the performance of a PV system taking into account…

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) has a sufficiently low amount of defects to be used within devices such as solar photovoltaic cells, particularly in the protocrystalline growth regime. However, hydrogenation is associated with light-induced degradation of the material, termed the Staebler–Wronski…

A wafer is a thin slice of semiconductor material, such as a silicon crystal, used in the fabrication of integrated circuits, microdevices, and several types of solar cells. The wafer serves as the substrate for microelectronic devices/solar cells built in…

A solar photovoltaic array tracking system capable of rotating independently about two axes (e.g., vertical and horizontal). Two axis tracking may improve generation upto 25%.

Tandem solar cells are effectively a stack of different solar cells on top of each other. Tandem solar cells can either be individual cells or connected in series. The most common arrangement for tandem cells is to grow them monolithically…

Superstrate is the layer imposed on another. Depending on the technology, semiconductor material can be superstrate or substrate in the solar cell.

Substrate is a solid (usually planar) substance onto which a layer of another substance is applied, and to which that second substance adheres. Depending on the technology, semiconductor material can be superstrate or substrate in the solar cell.