Analyzing S-Shaped I–V characteristics of solar cells by solving three-diode lumped-parameter equivalent circuit model explicitly

In order to analyze and optimize new generation solar cells’ electrostatic performances, lumped-parameter equivalent circuit model is a common method to simulate S-shaped I–V characteristics including linear, exponential, or exponential-like current kinks. Unfortunately, three-diode lumped-parameter model is still inevitable to be solved generally in numerical iteration method. The absence of explicit solution to three-diode lumped-parameter model is actually the main bottleneck of implementing the model into photovoltaic device and circuit simulators in compact. In this paper, to overcome the problem of three-diode model’s implementation into simulators, we proposed an explicit solution to the model based on the regional approach, where high accuracy and low computation time cost are the main features of such a solution. Analytical derivation and correction for the solution to transcendent I–V equation in three-diode model leads to high computation accuracy, and avoidance of numerical iteration methods introduces low computation time cost. Finally, numerical iteration results and reconstructed experimental data of solar cells are used to validate the accuracy and applicability of our proposed explicit solution. As a result, high accuracy and efficiency of the explicit solution make it possible to implement three-diode lumped-parameter equivalent circuit model into photovoltaic device and circuit simulators and explain I–V characteristics of new generation solar cells.