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:
- ShockleyQueisserCore.py implementing the calculator core functionality in the module classes, with a simple and easy-to-use graphical user interface.
- ShockleyQueisser.py implementing the program interface.
Two text files:
- SolarSpectrum_AM15G.txt containing the standard AM1.5 solar spectrum.
- ShockleyQueisserCurve.txt containing the Shockley-Queisser Efficiency vs Bandgap data.
Two figures:
- ShockleyQueisserCurve.pdf containing the Shockley-Queisser Efficiency vs Bandgap curve in PDF format (to integrate for example in a LaTeX document).
- ShockleyQueisserCurve.png containing the Shockley-Queisser Efficiency vs Bandgap curve in PNG format.
Three examples:
- ShockleyQueisserTJ.py for triple junction solar cell.
- ShockleyQueisserDJ.py for double junction solar cell.
- ShockleyQueisserCurve.py calculates and plots the efficiency of a PN junction solar cell with respect to the bandgap.
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):
- Python version 2.7.x or later
- numpy version 1.5 or later
- scipy version 0.13.1 or later
- matplotlib version 1.3.x or later
- tkinter 8.5 or later
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:
- set TargetBandgap to 1.65 eV and the TargetBandgapTop to 0, and calculate the corresponding efficiency and current-voltage characteristic.
- set TargetBandgap to 0.95 eV and the TargetBandgapTop to 1.65, and calculate the corresponding efficiency and current-voltage characteristic.
Deduce from the previous data the overall double junction solar cell efficiency.
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):
