INVESTIGATIONS OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER GENERATOR IN AN ELECTROMAGNETIC AMBIENCE

M. Drapalik¹⁾, J. Schmid¹⁾, E. Kancsar¹⁾, V. Schlosser¹⁾, G. Klinger²⁾

1. Department of Electronic Properties of Materials, Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna

2. Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna

A-1090 Vienna, Austria

ABSTRACT: We have investigated the reaction of photovoltaic cells to external electromagnetic fields in a frequency range of 10 Hz to 1 GHz. Outdoor recordings of received RF noise from the ambient were sampled for different solar cells and modules and compared with the reception of a simple whip antenna which represents a monopole for electromagnetic fields. Additionally in the laboratory well defined signals were generated and their reception was investigated depending on geometrical factors of the cells, such as orientation, size and distance. Cells, partly processed silicon wafers and patch antennas of equivalent dimensions were investigated. Two antenna models, namely dipole and patch configuration, are compared with the experimental findings. It was found that the gain in the investigated frequency range increases essentially linear with the cell area similar to patch antennas. A crystalline silicon cell of 100 cm² has almost the same signal amplification as an 83 cm long whip antenna remaining coarsely constant over the whole frequency range. For narrow frequency bands however the signal attenuation or amplification is strongly modified by the dipole behavior caused by the front metal grid.

Keywords: Electromagnetic Compatibility – Silicon Solar Cell