Energy yield framework to simulate thin film CIGS solar cells and analyze limitations of the technology

Santhosh Ramesh; Arttu Tuomiranta; Georgi H Yordanov; Hussein Badran; Ali Hajjiah; Bart Vermang; Jef Poortmans

doi:10.1038/s41598-024-78862-w

Energy yield framework to simulate thin film CIGS solar cells and analyze limitations of the technology

Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 6;15(1):988. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-78862-w.

Authors

Santhosh Ramesh^{1

2

3

4}, Arttu Tuomiranta^{5

6

7}, Georgi H Yordanov^{6

8}, Hussein Badran⁹, Ali Hajjiah⁹, Bart Vermang^{5

6

7}, Jef Poortmans^{5

6

8

7}

Affiliations

¹ Imec, imo-imomec, Thor Park 8320, 3600, Genk, Belgium. [email protected].
² EnergyVille, Thor Park 8320, 3600, Genk, Belgium. [email protected].
³ Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. [email protected].
⁴ Hasselt University, imo-imomec, Martelarenlaan 42, 3500, Hasselt, Belgium. [email protected].
⁵ Imec, imo-imomec, Thor Park 8320, 3600, Genk, Belgium.
⁶ EnergyVille, Thor Park 8320, 3600, Genk, Belgium.
⁷ Hasselt University, imo-imomec, Martelarenlaan 42, 3500, Hasselt, Belgium.
⁸ Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
⁹ Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait.

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) solar technology, benchmarked against crystalline silicon (c-Si) PERC PV technology. Utilizing a newly developed energy yield model, we analyzed the performance of CIGS in various environmental scenarios, emphasizing its behavior in low-light conditions and under different temperature regimes. The model demonstrated high accuracy with improved error metrics of normalized mean bias error (nMBE) ~ 1% and normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) of ~ 8%-20% in simulating rack mounted setup and integrated PV systems. Key findings reveal that the CIGS technology, while slightly underperforming in integrated, low-irradiance setups, shows comparable or superior performance to c-Si PERC technology in high-irradiance and high-temperature conditions. A significant focus of the study was on the low-light performance of CIGS, where it exhibited notable voltage losses. Our research highlights the importance of reducing the diode ideality factor for enhancing CIGS power conversion efficiency, particularly In low-light conditions. These insights provide a pathway for future research and technological improvements, emphasizing defect engineering, passivation strategies to advance the understanding and application of the CIGS technology.