Preparation and characterization of CdTe low concentrator solar cells

The combination of concentrators with solar modules is a feasible approach to largely improve the power output of the photovoltaic system while introducing almost no extra cost of materials. In this work, cadmium telluride (CdTe) low concentrator solar cells (LCSCs) were assembled to increase the power output and reduce the cost of per unit area. Devices with and without concentrator were thoroughly characterized and the mechanism of charge transportation in CdTe LCSCs was analyzed. By integrating a ×4 optical concentrator with CdTe solar cell, the short circuit current (ISC) and power output were increased by 3.15 and 3.07 times respectively.