Parameters extraction of the one-diode solar cell model: Performance assessment of different numerical procedures

The one-diode model defines the most common approximation of the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of a solar cell. The model equation is described on basis of five physical parameters: the photocurrent, the diode saturation current, the diode ideality factor, the serial resistance and the shunt resistance. Different numerical procedures for extracting the model parameters are applied in practice. Generally, the procedures guaranty an accurate approximation of the I-V characteristics while the estimated parameters experience a large dispersion. This paper is focused on four different procedures for extracting the model parameters, which are assessed from the perspective of performance in extracting the diode saturation current and the serial resistance. The numerical results are compared with the measured data. The samples were prepared at ISC Konstanz and characterized at the PV Laboratory of the West University of Timisoara. No procedure can be ranked the best. Some procedures perform better in extracting the diode saturation current while the others perform better in extracting the serial resistance.