Comprehensive Analysis of Spectral Mismatch Factor for Solar Cells Based on In Situ Observation of Aerosol Optical Depth Spectra and Solar Spectral Irradiance in Korea

The spectral mismatch factor for solar cells quantifies their relative performance in converting solar irradiance between the incident and reference solar spectra into electricity. This study attempted to evaluate the spectral mismatch factor for eight types of solar cells and investigate their sensitivity to changes in the solar spectral irradiance, which is dependent on the aerosol optical properties in a clear sky. Copper indium gallium diselenide cells have the highest mean value of the spectral mismatch factor, implying that they are less sensitive to changes in the solar spectral irradiance. In contrast, perovskite and amorphous silicon cells are more sensitive to atmospheric conditions, with broader distributions of the spectral mismatch factor values. Additionally, our study found that heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer cells has the highest substantial efficiency, considering the nameplate efficiency. The spectral mismatch factor decreased with increasing aerosol optical depth at 500 nm and was proportional to the humidity. The effects of aerosol optical properties on the spectral mismatch factor for different solar cells were clarified using clustering analysis and back-trajectory modeling results. In the present study, the aerosol optical depth spectra were found to be more important in determining the spectral mismatch factor than the aerosol optical depth at 500 nm. This study recommends further research on the relationship between the aerosol optical properties and solar spectral irradiance to better predict or estimate the spectral mismatch factor in solar power forecasting.