PV Characterization Lab
| K-12 Outreach Kits and Labs |
Overview
This is a good high school or introductory undergrad lab for physics or chemistry. It uses a simple technique with computer probeware to measure the current/voltage curve of a solar cell in order to determine its peak power. It allows you compare various types of cells and shows how difficult it is to get an accurate absolute measurement of performance.
Procedure
<embed_document width="100%" height="600">http://depts.washington.edu/cmditr/mediawiki/images/a/a5/PV_Characterization_Lab.pdf</embed_document>
Download Datastudio file JVcurve
External Links
- NREL
- Cornell PV modules
- Estimating PV system size and cost
- live insolation data for Las Vegas
- wikipedia:Solar_cell
- Other Solar Lesson plans