Effect of atmospheric parameters

Abstract-- In this paper, the global and diffuse solar radiation incident on solar cells are simulated using a spectral transmittance model, for varying atmospheric conditions on the site of Algiers. The effect of changes in total intensity and spectral distribution on the short circuit current and efficiency of different kinds of solar cells (amorphous, monocrystalline and multicrystalline) is examined. The results show a reduction in the short circuit current due to increasing turbidity. It is 4.41%, 4.79%, and 7.34 % under global radiation and for mono-crystalline, multicrystalline and amorphous silicon cells respectively. However it increases under diffuse radiation. Increasing water vapor in the atmosphere leads to a reduction in the short circuit current of 4.57%, 4.4%, and 0.2 % respectively for mono-crystalline, multicrystalline and amorphous silicon under global radiation and it is not influenced under diffuse radiation. The short circuit current decreases with increasing air mass for the different types of silicon solar cells. However, the efficiency increases with increasing air mass for monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cells but it is the opposite for the amorphous silicon solar cell. Key Words- silicon, solar cell, spectral radiation, diffuse, global. I