Modeling and optimization of white paint back reflectors for thin-film silicon solar cells

Diffusive dielectric materials such as white paint have been demonstrated as effective back reflectors in the photovoltaic technology. In this work, a one-dimensional 1D optical modeling approach for simulation of white paint films is developed and implemented in a 1D optical simulator for thin-film solar cells. The parameters of white paint, such as the paint film thickness, the pigment volume concentration PVC , and the pigment/binder refractive index ratio RIR , are examined and optimized to achieve the required optical properties for back reflector application. The simulation trends indicate that white paint back reflectors with sufficient film thickness and higher PVC and RIR values exhibit improved reflectivity characteristics which results in an increased long-wavelength quantum efficiency of thin-film silicon solar cells. The simulation results based on the 1D model agree very well with the experimental data obtained from reflectance measurements of various white paint compositions and quantum efficiency measurements of amorphous silicon solar cells with white paint back reflectors. © 2010 American Institute of Physics. doi:10.1063/1.3512907