Solar Cells incident angle of radiation.

[cosmik_debris]

Hi,

I'm an A level student here in the UK, and have just handed in my rushed piece of coursework on how the incident angle of radiation effects the power produced by a solar cell.

Obviously I came to the conclusion that most was produced when the radiation was falling perpendicular but why is this? Reflection and refraction obviously has something to play, fresnel's equations etc... but what else?

Does the Compton effect have something to do with this or am I barking up the wrong tree?

That is all,
Sam

 

[russ_watters]

Its simple geometry: if the photons are moving parallel to each other, you catch the most by being perpendicular to their path.

 

[Graeme Robinson]

Hi Sam,

Great job on completing your coursework on the impact of incident angle on solar cell power production! As you mentioned, the angle of incident radiation is a crucial factor in determining the efficiency of solar cells. This is because solar cells are designed to capture and convert sunlight into electricity, and the angle at which the sunlight hits the cell affects the amount of energy that can be harnessed.

One of the main reasons why solar cells work best when the radiation is falling perpendicular is due to the concept of optics and the principles of reflection and refraction. When sunlight hits the surface of a solar cell at an angle, a portion of the energy is reflected away, and another portion is refracted (bent) as it enters the cell. This means that less energy is actually being absorbed and converted into electricity. However, when the sunlight is perpendicular to the cell, there is minimal reflection and refraction, allowing for maximum energy absorption.

Furthermore, the Compton effect, which describes the scattering of photons by electrons, does not have a direct impact on the efficiency of solar cells. This is because the energy of the photons is not significantly changed during this process and does not affect the overall energy conversion in the solar cell.

Other factors that may contribute to the impact of incident angle on solar cell efficiency include the material and design of the cell, the quality of the sunlight (cloud coverage, pollution, etc.), and the temperature of the cell.

I hope this helps to answer your question. Keep up the good work in your studies! Best of luck in your future endeavors.