Light soaking

rdf:langString Light soaking

rdf:langString Light soaking refers to the change in power output of solar cells which can be measured after illumination. This can either be an increase or decrease, depending on the type of solar cell. The cause of this effect and the consequences on efficiency varies per type of solar cell. Light soaking can generally cause either metastable electrical or structural effects. Electrical effects can vary the efficiency depending on illumination, electrical bias and temperature, where structural effects actually changes the structure of the material and performance is often permanently altered. Although in many cases light soaking actually increases the efficiency of the solar cell, the effect is still seen as problematic since stability in power output is an important requirement for solar cells and the devices connected to solar cells. Also, in order to accurately determine the lifetime of solar cells, it is important to know how the cells are affected by light soaking over time.