Screening solar cells for improved array performance

Solar cells are produced in batches and undergo a screening process, usually based on the maximum power point. The manufacturer or consumer aggregates the solar cells randomly to form an array. By screening the solar cells and aggregating in a ranking order we may obtain improved array performance. In the present study we investigate several screening criteria of a batch of solar cells and rank them in an order. We also investigate several array topologies constructed by the screened solar cells and compare the results with arrays of randomly selected cells. In terrestrial applications, panels usually form the array. In this case the panel may be viewed as the basic unit for the screening. The results of the study show that improved array performance may be obtained for screened solar cells as opposed to randomly selected cells if part of the solar cells in the batch is used to form the array. If all the calls are used, no noticeable improvement is seen. For a sufficiently tight manufacturing tolerance there is no need to screen the solar cells.