Shockley-Queisser limit Calculator. The Shockley-Queisser limit is the maximum photovoltaic efficiency obtained for a solar cell with respect to the absorber bandgap
Code written by:
Pr. Sidi Hamady
Université de Lorraine, France
sidi.hamady@univ-lorraine.fr
See Copyright Notice in COPYRIGHT
The Shockley-Queisser limit is the maximum photovoltaic efficiency obtained for a solar cell with respect to the absorber bandgap.
The theory is described by W. Shockley and H. J. Queisser in Journal of Applied Physics 32 (1961).
To install the Shockley-Queisser limit calculator:
just download it:
from github: https://github.com/sidihamady/Shockley-Queisser
or from my website: http://www.hamady.org/photovoltaics/ShockleyQueisser.zip
unzip and use.
The distribution mainly includes:
Two main Python files:
Two text files:
Two figures:
Three examples:
It is not necessary to know the Python language to use the program.
The basic requirements are found in any Linux distribution (and easily installed for Windows):
PS: for Windows, you can download a complete Python distribution from https://www.anaconda.com/distribution/
Start ShockleyQueisser.py interface:
from the command line prompt:
under Linux:
cd /path/to/ShockleyQueisser/python -u ShockleyQueisser.py
under Windows (in the command prompt):
cd C:\path\to\ShockleyQueisser\python.exe -u ShockleyQueisser.py
You have to add python to your PATH.
You can also execute ShockleyQueisser.py by double clicking on it (depending on the operating system settings), or from within your editor, if possible.
In the graphical interface, change the parameters you want (solar concentration, temperature and target bandgap) and press ‘Calculate’.
Screenshot under Windows:
Screenshot under Linux:
The program calculates the efficiency for a single junction solar cell but takes into account the part of solar spectrum already absorbed (for example in a top cell) through the Target top bandgap parameter.
This is useful to calculate the overall efficiency in a multijunction solar cell.
For example for double junction solar cell, follow the steps below:
Two examples are given below (for double and triple junction solar cells).
The calculator can be used in graphical (GUI) mode or command-line only mode. In command-line mode the results are printed out and saved in text files.
The command-line mode is useful to perform specific calculations such as multijunction solar cell efficiency.
Two multijunction solar cell examples are given in the included ShockleyQueisserTJ.py and ShockleyQueisserDJ.py files.
The execution of ShockleyQueisserTJ.py gives the following output:
The execution of ShockleyQueisserDJ.py gives the following output (Efficiency of a double junction solar cell with respect to the top and bottom bandgap):
