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IEC 60891

Edition 3.0 2021-10

INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE

Photovoltaic devices - Procedures for temperature and irradiance corrections to


measured l-V characteristics

Dispositifs photovoltaVques - Procedures pour les corrections en fonction de la


temperature et de l'eclairement â appliquer aux caracteristiques l-V mesurees
IEC 60891:2021-10(en-fr)

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Copyright International Electrotechnical Commission


IEC 60891
Edition 3.0 2021-10

INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE

Photovoltaic devices - Procedures for temperature and irradiance corrections


to measured l-V characteristics

Dispositifs photovoltaiques - Procedures pour les corrections en fonction de la


temperature et de l'eclairement â appliquer aux caracteristiques l-V mesurees

IN T E R N A T IO N A L
E LE C T R O T E C H N IC A L
C O M M IS S IO N

C O M M IS S IO N
E LE C T R O T E C H N IQ U E
IN T E R N A T IO N A LE

ICS 27.160 ISBN 978-2-8322-1036-0

W arning! Make sure that you obtained this publication from an authorized distributor.
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® Registered trademark of the International Electrotechnical Commission


Copyright intemaMonai de la Commission Electrotechnique Internationale
- 2 - IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021

CONTENTS
FOREW ORD................................................................................................................................................... 4
1 S cope....................................................................................................................................................... 6
2 Normative re fe re n ce s........................................................................................................................... 6
3 Terms and definitions, symbols and abbreviated te rm s ...............................................................7
4 Correction p ro ce d u re s......................................................................................................................... 8
4.1 G eneral........................................................................................................................................... 8
4.2 Correction procedure 1 ............................................................................................................ 11
4.3 Correction procedure 2 ............................................................................................................12
4.4 Correction procedure 3 ............................................................................................................14
4.4.1 G e n e ra l................................................................................................................................14
4.4.2 Correction for the irradiance and tem perature from two measured I-V
c u rv e s .................................................................................................................................14
4.4.3 Correction to various irradiances and tem peratures from three I-V
c u rv e s .................................................................................................................................17
4.4.4 Correction to various irradiances and tem peratures from four measured
I-V c u rve s...........................................................................................................................17
4.5 Correction procedure 4 ............................................................................................................18
5 Determination of tem perature co efficie n ts.................................................................................... 20
5.1 G eneral........................................................................................................................................ 20
5.2 A p p a ra tu s................................................................................................................................... 20
5.3 Procedure in natural or steady-state simulated s u n lig h t.................................................. 22
5.4 Procedure with a pulsed solar sim ulator..............................................................................23
5.5 Calculation of tem perature c o e ffic ie n ts ...............................................................................23
6 Determination of internal series resistance R§ and /?'§.............................................................24

6.1 G eneral........................................................................................................................................ 24
6.2 Determination of /?$ in correction procedures 1 and 4 ....................................................25
6.3 Determination of and 8 2 in correction procedure 2 .................................................... 27
6.4 Determination of /?'$ in correction procedure 2 ................................................................ 28
6.5 Determination of /?g in correction procedure 4 ..................................................................30
7 Determination of the curve correction factor k and k' .................................................................31
7.1 G eneral.........................................................................................................................................31
7.2 P rocedure.................................................................................................................................... 31
8 R e p o rtin g .............................................................................................................................................. 32
Annex A (inform ative) Alternative procedures for series resistance determ ination......................34
A.1 G eneral........................................................................................................................................ 34
A.2 Differential resistance at Vq q against inverse irradiance m ethod................................ 34
Bibliography.................................................................................................................................................. 35

Figure 1 - Example of the correction of the characteristics by formulae (10) and


( 1 1 ) .................................................................................................................................................................16
Figure 2 - Schematic diagram of the relation of G3 and 7*3 which can be chosen in the
simultaneous correction for irradiance and temperature, for a fixed set of T j, G-\, T2 ,
and G2 by formulae (12) and (1 3 )........................................................................................................... 16

Copyright International Electroiectinlcai Commission


IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 - 3-

Figure 3 - Schematic diagram of the processes for correcting the I - V characteristics to


various ranges of irradiance and tem perature based on three measured
c h a ra c te ris tics.............................................................................................................................................. 17
Figure 4 - Schematic diagram of the processes for correcting the characteristics to
various ranges of irradiance and tem perature based on four measured c h a ra cte ristics ............... 18
Figure 5 - Example positions for measuring the tem perature of the test module behind
the c e lls .......................................................................................................................................................... 21
Figure 6 - Determination of internal series resistance......................................................................26
Figure 7 - Determination of internal series resistance when the corrected I-V
characteristics in te rs e c t............................................................................................................................. 27
Figure 8 - Determination of irradiance correction factors B<\ and B2 and internal series
resistance, R’§ .............................................................................................................................................. 29

Figure 9 - Determination of internal series resistance of a PV module from a single I-V


c u rv e ............................................................................................................................................................... 31
Figure 10 - Determination of curve correction fa c to r......................................................................... 32
Figure A.1 - Determination of internal series re s is ta n c e ................................................................. 34

Table 1 - Overview of correction procedures for irradiance corrections (i.e.T<\ = T2 ) ...................9

Table 2 - Overview of correction procedures for tem perature corrections (i.e. G-j =G2 ) ......... 10

Copyright International Electroiectinlcai Commission


-4 - IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION

PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES - PROCEDURES FOR TEM PERATURE AND


IRRADIANCE CORRECTIONS TO MEASURED l-V CHARACTERISTICS

FOREWORD
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International Standard IEC 60891 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 82: Solar
photovoltaic energy systems.

This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition published in 2009. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.

This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:

- adds guidance on which correction procedure shall be used depending on application;


- introduces translation procedure 4 applicable to c-Si technologies with unknown
tem perature coefficients;
- introduces various clarifications in existing procedures to improve measurement accuracy
and reduce measurement uncertainty;
- adds an informative annex for supplementary methods that can be used for series resistance
determination.

Copyright Internationa) Electroiectinlcai Commission


IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 - 5-

The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:

FDIS Report on voting

82/1936/FD IS 82/1957/RVD

Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.

The language used for the developm ent of this International Standard is English.

This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at w w w .iec.ch/m em bers_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at ww w .iec.ch/standardsdev/publications.

The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be

• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.

Copyright Internationa) Electro»ectinlca< Commission


-6 - IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021

PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES - PROCEDURES FOR TEM PERATURE AND


IRRADIANCE CORRECTIONS TO MEASURED l-V CHARACTERISTICS

1 Scope

This document defines procedures to be followed for tem perature and irradiance corrections to
the measured I-V (current-voltage) characteristics (also known as l-V curves) of photovoltaic
(PV) devices. It also defines the procedures used to determine factors relevant to these
corrections. Requirements for l-V measurement of PV devices are laid down in IEC 60904-1
and its relevant subparts.

The PV devices include a single solar cell with or w ithout a protective cover, a sub-assem bly of
solar cells, or a module. A different set of relevant parameters for l-V curve correction applies
for each type of device. The determ ination of tem perature coefficients for a module (or sub-
assembly of cells) may be calculated from single cell measurements, but this is not the case for
the internal series resistance and curve correction factor, which should be separately measured
for a module or subassembly of cells. Refer to Annex A for alternative procedures for series
resistance determ ination.

The use of l-V correction parameters is valid for the PV device for which they have been
measured. Variations may occur within a production lot or the type of class.

2 N o r m a t iv e r e f e r e n c e s

The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirem ents of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.

IEC 60904-1, Photovoltaic devices - Part 1: Measurements o f photovoltaic current-voltage


characteristics

IEC TS 60904-1-2, Photovoltaic devices - Part 1-2: Measurement o f current-voltage


characteristics o f bifacial photovoltaic (PV) devices

IEC 60904-2, Photovoltaic devices - Part 2: Requirem ents for reference solar devices

IEC 60904-7, Photovoltaic devices - Part 7: Computation o f the spectral mismatch correction
for measurements o f photovoltaic devices

IEC 60904-8, Photovoltaic devices - Part 8 : Measurement o f spectral responsivity o f a


photovoltaic (PV) device

IEC 60904-9, Photovoltaic devices - Part 9: Classification o f solar sim ulator characteristics

IEC 60904-10:2020, Photovoltaic devices - Part 10: Methods o f lin e ar dependence and linearity
measurements

IEC 61215-2, Terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) m odules - Design qualification and type approval -
Part 2: Test procedures

IEC TS 61836, Solar photovoltaic energy systems - Terms, definitions, and symbols

Copyright Internationa) Electroiectinlcai Commission


IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 -7 -

3 T e r m s a n d d e f i n i t i o n s , s y m b o l s a n d a b b r e v ia t e d t e r m s

For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in IEC TS 61836, together
with the following, apply.

ISO and IEC maintain term inological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:

• IEC Electropedia: available at http://ww w.electropedia.org/


• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp

irradiance correction factor for open-circuit voltage which is linked with the diode thermal
voltage, Vt of the p-n junction and ns

Note 1 to entry: It is used in correction procedure 2.

«2
irradiance correction factor for open-circuit voltage which accounts for non-linearity of yo c with
irradiance scaling

Note 1 to entry: It is used in correction procedure 2.

3.3
DUT
device under test

internal series resistance of the DUT employed by correction procedures 1 and 4

tf's
internal series resistance of the DUT employed by correction procedure 2

Note 1 to entry: A lthough determ ined by a diffe re nt m ethod than Rs , both quantities share the same physical
meaning and therefore their values for the same DUT are sim ilar.

,,S
number of cells serially connected in the DUT

a
interpolation constant employed in correction procedure 3, that has a relation with the irradiance
and tem perature

£
product of ideality factor of the DUT with the bandgap of the photovoltaic material divided by
electron’s elementary charge

Note 1 to entry: It is used in correction procedure 4.

Copyright Internationa) Electrotechnical Commission


-8 - IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021

4 C o rre c tio n p ro c e d u re s

4.1 General

This document provides four procedures for correcting measured current-voltage


characteristics to other conditions of tem perature and irradiance, such as Standard Test
Conditions (STC), that can be applied. The first procedure describes a system of linear
equations for current and voltage, which is best applicable for irradiance corrections within
±40% of the target irradiance. The second procedure is an alternative algebraic correction
method which yields better results for large irradiance corrections (exceeding ±40 %). Both
procedures require that correction param eters of the PV device are known. If not known they
need to be determined prior to performing the correction. The third procedure is an interpolation
method which does not require correction parameters as input. It can be applied when a
minimum of two current-voltage curves have been measured for the DUT. This correction
method is applicable in the tem perature and irradiance range spanned by the two current
voltage curves. The fourth procedure is based on the single-diode model and provides a
methodology for determining a correction param eter Rs from a single I-V curve, when the
param eter is unknown. The method is best applicable to irradiance corrections when the
measured and target irradiance are both in the range 300 W/m 2 to 1 200 W/m 2 and the series
resistance Rs is unknown. It is suitable for translations when the characteristics under STC
have to be estimated from a single experim ental I-V curve.

Table 1 and Table 2 provide an overview of the four different correction procedures, and
describe qualitatively the advantages, disadvantages and required correction param eters for
each procedure. The purpose of these tables is to provide guidance to the user of this document
on which correction procedure to use for different applications.

For simultaneous corrections of irradiance and tem perature, the benefits and lim itations listed
in Table 1 and Table 2 apply concurrently.

Common to all procedures is that I-V characteristics of the PV device are to be measured in
accordance with IEC 60904-1 and its relevant subparts.

All PV devices should be linear at least within the range of irradiances and device tem perature
over which corrections are made. Details on how to assess the deviation from the ideal linear
dependence are described in IEC 60904-10.

An estimate of the translation accuracy is required (see Clause 8 ).

Usually, the total irradiance G shall be calculated from the measured short-circuit current of the
PV reference device (/RC) as defined in IEC 60904-2, and its calibration value at STC (/RCSTC).
A correction should be applied to account for the actual tem perature of the reference device
r RC using the specified relative tem perature coefficient of short-circuit current of the reference
device («Rc.rei) which is given at 25 °C and 1 000 W /m2.

1000 Wm ~2 x /R
Q —______________________ C
_________ / \
^R C .ST C X [ l + a R C ,re l x (Trc — 25°C)]

Copyright International Electroiectinlcarf Commission


IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 -9 -

Ideally, the reference device shall be linear in short-circuit current over the entire irradiance
range of interest, as defined in IEC 60904-10. In practice, even for linear devices it is
recommended to apply a correction for linearity of the reference device according to
IEC 60904-10. If the device is not linear according to IEC 60904-10 over the entire irradiance
range of interest, then corrections shall be applied to avoid errors in the corrections of its I-V
characteristics. The PV reference device shall either be spectrally matched to the DUT, or a
spectral mismatch (SMM) correction shall be performed in conformance with IEC 60904-7.
Since the spectral responsivity of the device can vary with tem perature, the apparent change
in tem perature coefficient with spectra should be taken into account in the correction. An
interpolation method of tem perature against SMM correction can minimize the error sources.

Table 1 - O vervie w of c o rre c tio n p ro ce d u re s f o r irra d ia n ce c o rre c tio n s (i.e. 7^ = T2)

P ro c e d u re 1

C orrection param eter requirem ent: Rs

A d v a n ta g e s D is a d v a n ta g e s
• Suitable w here Rs is determ ined (typica lly • A ssum es superposition o f current at all voltages
w ithin ± 40 % of the irradiance at which Rs was
de term ined)
• W orks reasonably well over a broader range of • Cannot produce com plete I-V curves for higher
irradiance (typica lly w ith in ± 80 % o f the irradiance corrections (part o f I-V curve between
irradiance at which Rs was determ ined) for ^max and ^ o c 's H issing ), w hen the I-V curve is not
devices that are linea r w ith respect to m easured su fficie n tly far into the negative current
irradiance according to IEC 60904-10. This is regim e. In this case extrap olation for VQC is
typ ica lly the case fo r c-Si. necessary

P ro c e d u re 2

C orrection param eter requirem ent: Bv B2, R's . and /?re!

A d v a n ta g e s D is a d v a n ta g e s

• Suitable in the irradiance range w here R 's is • Requires more param eters to be known than
procedures 1 and 4
determ ined (typica lly w ithin ± 40 % o f the
irradiance at which R's was de term ined)

• W orks reasonably well over a broader range of • Not recom m ended fo r I-V translatio n over
irradiance (typica lly w ithin ± 80 % o f the irradiance exceeding ± 40 % of the target
irradiance at which R's was determ ined) for irradiance, when the DUT has sig nifica nt leakage
devices that are linea r w ith respect to current (low shunt resistance)
irradiance according to IEC 60904-10. This is
typ ica lly the case fo r c-Si.

• Can produce com plete I-V curves fo r higher


irradiance corrections

• Provides inform ation fo r relative com parison of


the DUT m odelling param eters used in s in g le ­
diode m odel (id ea lity factor and R's )

P ro c e d u re 3

C orrection param eter requirem ent: None

A d v a n ta g e s D is a d v a n ta g e s
• Best accuracy fo r /-^ c o rre c tio n s when • Requires know ledge o f /- ^ c u r v e s at higher and
interpolating low er levels o f irradiance com pared to target
irradiance

• F itting param eters not required • Not possible to perform com parison between
diffe re nt technologies, because fittin g param eters
cannot be extracted

• Least technology spe cific method • Interpolation gives better results than
extrapolation. E xtrapolation should be practiced
w ith caution

Copyright International Electroiectinlcai Commission


-10- IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021

P ro c e d u re 4

C orrection param eter requirem ent: None

A d v a n ta g e s D is a d v a n ta g e s
• Suitable when the corre ction param eter Rs is • A pproxim ate Rs is determ ined from a single l-V
unknown curve

• Does not require m ultiple I-V curves m easured • Not suitable fo r technologies which do not follow
at d iffe re nt levels o f irradiance fo r Rs the sin gle -diode model
determ ination

Table 2 - O ve rvie w o f c o rre c tio n p ro ce d u re s fo r te m p e ra tu re c o rre c tio n s (i.e. G 1 = G2)

P ro c e d u re 1

C orrection param eter requirem ent: Rs , k, a and (i

A d v a n ta g e s D is a d v a n ta g e s
• Suitable as long as the m easured irra dia nce is • Not recom m ended when the m easured irradiance
w ith in ± 30 % o f the irradiance at which diffe rs by m ore than ±30 % from the irradiance at
tem perature coe fficien ts were determ ined which the tem perature coe fficien ts were
determ ined

P ro c e d u re 2

C orrection param eter requirem ent: B v B2, R's , k ', a tBl and /?re|

A d v a n ta g e s D is a d v a n ta g e s
• S uitable as long as the m easured irra dia nce is • Requires m ore param eters to be known than
w ith in ± 30 % of the irradiance at which procedures 1 and 4
tem perature coe fficien ts were determ ined

• A pplicable over the entire range o f irradiance for • Not recom m ended fo r devices that are not linear
which the device is proven to be linear with w ith respect to irradiance when the m easured
respect to irra dia nce according to IEC 60904-10. irradiance d iffe rs by more than ± 30 % from the
This is typica lly the case for c-Si. irradiance at which the tem perature coe fficien ts
w ere determ ined

P ro c e d u re 3

C orrection param eter requirem ent: None

A d v a n ta g e s D is a d v a n ta g e s
• Best accuracy fo r I-V corre ction s when • Requires know ledge of I-V curves at higher and
interpolating low er tem peratures

• F itting param eters not required • Fitting param eters cannot be extracted

• Least technology spe cific method • Interpolation gives better results than
extrapolation. E xtrapolation should be practiced
w ith caution

P ro c e d u re 4

C orrection param eter requirem ent: e, a n l and ns

A d v a n ta g e s D is a d v a n ta g e s
• The sam e value o f the device dependent • Not suitable for technologies which do not follow
constant, £-can be used fo r all c-Si PV devices the sin gle -diode model

• £ is independent o f tem perature and irradiance

Copyright International Electroiectinlcai Commission


IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 - 11 -

4.2 C o rre c tio n p ro c e d u re 1

The first procedure relies on the principle of superposition of the currents at all voltages, which
assumes that the diode current does not depend on photocurrent [1 ]1. This is typically not the
case when the target irradiance is significantly different from the measured irradiance.

The current-voltage characteristic measured at condition 1 shall be corrected to STC or other


selected tem perature and irradiance values (condition 2 ) by applying the following formulae:

/2 = f i + / s c i x ( g * - l ) + a x ( r 2 - 7 i ) (2)

V2 = Vy — Rs X (/ 2 - y - K / j X ( 7-2 - 7 ’,) + /? x (T2 - 7\) (3)

where:

/ 1t V1 are coordinates of points on the measured characteristics;

/ 2> V2 are coordinates of the corresponding points on the corrected characteristic;


G1 is the irradiance measured with the reference device, corrected for tem perature
and linearity of the reference device and the SMM;
G2 is the target irradiance for the DUT;
r, is the measured tem perature of the DUT;
T2 is the target tem perature of the DUT;

/ SCi is the measured short-circuit current of the DUT at G1 and T 1;

*rand p are the short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage tem perature coefficients,
respectively, of the DUT at the target irradiance for correction and within the
tem perature range of interest (e.g. -2 ,3 mV/°C);
Rs is the internal series resistance of the DUT;

k is a curve correction factor.

NOTE For crysta llin e silicon PV devices a is norm ally po sitive and /7 negative.

As the data point VOCJ\ will be shifted off the original axis when translating from lower to higher
irradiance, the translated V0C2 has to be determined by linear extrapolation near and above
vOC2 0*e - f ° r negative currents), or by linear extrapolation near VOC2 if there are no voltage
points above ^ o c 2 - To minimize errors caused by extrapolation, it is recommended that I-V
curves shall be measured as far into forward bias beyond Vo c as possible.

Vqc 2 may be a,so extrapolated by polynomial fit of the I-V curve. In particular, this is
recommended if measured F0C1 is translated to an I-V data point with current offset. For the
polynomial curve fit all I-V data points in the voltage range larger than VPmax shall be considered.
The resulting curve shall be plausible in the whole voltage range VPmax to Vo c . Alternative
methods to linear extrapolation (such as diode fitting) are also allowed.

1 Num bers in square brackets refer to the B ibliography.

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The extrapolation method used has to be stated in the report together with a statem ent of its
estimated uncertainty on the translated ^ o c 2 -

Procedures for determination of the I-V correction parameters of the DUT are described in
Clauses 5 to 7.

Formula (2) is only applicable for I-V curves measured at irradiances which are constant during
the acquisition of the entire I-V curve. For pulsed solar sim ulators with decaying irradiance, or
any other kind of irradiance fluctuations during I-V measurement, formula (2) is not applicable
as such. In this case, each measured I-V curve has to be corrected to an equivalent I-V curve
at constant irradiance which requires an additional scaling factor in front of /$ c i- For practical
reasons, this scaling factor is related to the irradiance corresponding to measured / SC1. For
non-constant irradiance, formula ( 2 ) will become the following translation formula.

(4)

where GSd 's 'rradiance value at the time of / sc i measurement and G\ is the irradiance
measured at time of data acquisition of individual I-V data points.

Correction procedure 1 assumes that the normalized spectra corresponding to G-, and G2 are
identical. If they are not, an additional uncertainty component is required to account for the
variation of a with spectrum by calculating the effect based on the measured spectral
responsivity of the DUT as a function of tem perature or of irradiance and on the measured
spectral irradiance. Spectral mismatch corrections shall be implemented in accordance with
IEC 60904-7.

4.3 C o rre c tio n p ro ce d u re 2

This procedure is based on the sim plified one-diode model of PV devices [2]. The semi-
empirical translation form ulae contain six I-V curve correction parameters which can be
determined by measurement of I-V curves at different tem perature and irradiance conditions
(see Clauses 5 to 7). Besides the relative tem perature coefficients for short-circuit current (aye|)
and open-circuit voltage (/?rel) an additional tem perature coefficient ( ^ ) is commonly used which
accounts for changes of the internal series resistance (and fill factor) with tem perature.
Furthermore, correction procedure 2 introduces a quadratic irradiance factor f(G ) with
coefficients B^ and B2, which accounts for the non-linear scaling of diode’s ideality factor with
irradiance. The correction procedure is defined by the following form ulae for current and voltage:

Gl j (1 + arei x (T2 - 25°C))


(5)
C, 1 (1 + arel x (7\ - 25°C))

V2 = V1 - R'S1 x (/2 - /,) - k ' x I 2 x (T2 - Tj)

(6 )
1 1
+ ^ o c . s t c X ( f t e i X E / ( G 2) x (T2 - 25° C ) - /-(C ,) x ( Tt - 25° C ) ] +
/(C 2) /(C x)

1 000 Wm ~2 1 000 Wm ~2
( G
j + Bj x In
G
(7)

R’S1 = R's + k' x (Ti - 25°C) (8 )

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 -13-

where:

/ 1t V1 are coordinates of points on the measured I-V characteristic;


/ 2, V2 are coordinates of the corresponding points on the corrected I-V curve;

G1 is the irradiance as measured with the reference device, corrected for


tem perature and linearity of the reference device and the SMM;
G2 is the target irradiance for the corrected I-V characteristic;

r1 is the measured tem perature of the DUT;


T2 is the target tem perature of the DUT;

F OC1 is the open-circuit voltage at test conditions G 1 and T^\

Vo c stc 's ^ e open-circuit voltage at standard test conditions;


are| and /?re) are the relative short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage tem perature
coefficients, respectively, of the DUT measured at 1 000 W /m2. They express
the relative change of short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage with respect
to their values at STC; both coefficients are expressed in percent per unit
tem perature and should be scaled by a fraction of 100 when used in the
formulae (e.g. * re, = 0,045 % K' 1 = 0,00045 K '1);
is the irradiance correction factor for open-circuit voltage which is linked with
the diode therm al voltage D of the p-n junction and the number of cells ns
serially connected in the DUT;
B2 is the irradiance correction factor for open-circuit voltage which accounts for
non-linearity of vo c with irradiance scaling;
R's is the internal series resistance of the DUT determined at 25 °C;

7?'S1 is the internal series resistance of the DUT at measured tem perature 7^;

k' is interpreted as tem perature coefficient of the internal series resistance R's.

Care should be taken that the numerical values for k! and R's for procedure 2 can be different
from k and Rs of correction procedure 1, as correction procedure 2 requires the series
resistance to be explicitly determined at 25 °C.

When unknown, Vo c STC can be derived from the actual measurement using the following
expression:

U _ ________ ypCl X A C l)________ ,g.


OCSTC 1 + 0 re| x ^ _ 2 5 ° C) X / - 2 ( C l ) ( '

NOTE 1 For c-Si m odules when VQC scales w ith the irradiance term ln(1 000/G ) linearly, a typical range fo r the
irradiance corre ction fa cto r B 1 is 0,05 ± 0,01 while B2 is 0. W hen * o c scales non-linearly w ith the irradiance term
ln(1 000/G ), 5 1 typ ica lly varies in the range o f 0,04 ± 0,01 and B2 in the range o f 0,004 ± 0,001.

NOTE 2 A typical range fo r the tem perature coe fficien t tffe| o f c-Si m odules is from 0,03 % /°C to 0,06 % /°C w ith
respect to the / sc at STC. A typical range fo r the tem perature co e fficie n t /?re| o f c-Si m odules is from -0,35 % /°C
to -0,2 % /°C w ith respect to the FQC at STC.

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-14- IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021

4.4 C o rre c tio n p ro c e d u re 3

4.4.1 General

This procedure may be applied only to devices proven to be linear according to IEC 60904-10.
It is based on the linear interpolation or extrapolation of two measured I-V characteristics [3].
The method uses a minimum of two I-V characteristics, and requires no correction parameters
or fitting parameters. The measured current-voltage characteristics shall be corrected to STC
or other target tem perature and irradiance values by applying the following formulae:

V3 = K, + a x (V2 - VO (10)

/3 = / 1 + a x ( / 2 - / 1) (1 1 )

The pair of (/.j , ^ ) and (/2, V2) should be chosen so that I 2 — / i = I$c 2 ~ h c i

where:

/ 1f V1 are coordinates of points on the measured characteristics at an irradiance G 1 and


tem perature T^.
I2, V2 are coordinates of points on the measured characteristics at an irradiance G2 and
tem perature T2.
/ 3, V3 are coordinates of the corresponding points on the corrected characteristics at an
irradiance G3 and tem perature T3.

/ Sc i. ^sc 2 are the measured short-circuit current of the DUT at irradiances G 1 and G2.
a is a constant for the interpolation, which has the relation with the irradiance and
tem perature as follows:

G3 = Gl + a x ( G 2 - G l ) (12)

T3 = 7\ + a x (T2 - TO (13)

This method should be applicable to most PV technologies. Formulae (10) to (13) can be used
for the irradiance correction, tem perature correction, and simultaneous correction of irradiance
and tem perature. This procedure assumes that the normalized spectra corresponding to G1t G2
and G3 are identical. If they are not, then there will be an additional source of uncertainty in G3.
Measuring G1 and G2 with SMM corrections based upon the spectral responsivity measured at
Tj and T2 according to IEC 60904-8 will minimize these errors. If the spectral responsivity is
nonlinear in relation to irradiance then it should be measured at bias light intensities equal to
G-j and G2.

4.4.2 C o rre ctio n f o r the irra d ia n ce and te m p e ra tu re fro m tw o measured I-V cu rve s

The procedure to correct the I-V characteristics to the irradiance and tem perature (G3, 7*3) from
two I-V characteristics measured at the irradiances and tem peratures of (G1t T^) and (G2, T2)
is as follows (Figure 1a) and 1b)):

a) Measure the two I-V characteristics at the irradiances and tem peratures of (G1f 7^) and
(G2, T2), respectively (solid lines in Figure 1a)). Find the values of 7SC1 and / SC2.

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 -15-

b) Calculate a by formula (12) or (13) choosing a target irradiance or tem perature. For example,
when the two measured /-^ c u rv e s were made at:
G-, = 1 000 W/m 2 and r , = 50 °C

G2 = 500 W /m 2 and T2 = 40 °C.

and the target irradiance is G3 = 800 W/m2:


then, using formula (12) a - 0,4
and using formula (13) f 3 = 46 °C.

c) Choose a point (P1t /-,) on the l-V curve 1. Find a point ( V2, / 2) on the /-F curve 2, so that
the relation /2 —/-^ = /gC 2 “ ^SC1 's satisfied (Figure 1b)).
d) Calculate V3 and /3 by form ulae (10) and (11).
e) Select m ultiple sets of data points ( V1 , 11) on the I- V curve 1, and calculate ( V3, / 3) for each
by the procedures c) and d).
f) The I-V characteristics 3 at the irradiance G3 and tem perature r 3 is given by the set of data
points (F3, / 3) (broken line in Figure 1 b)).

Figure 1a) and Figure 1b) show an example of an irradiance correction (7^ = T2). Figure 1c)
shows an example of a tem perature correction (G-j =G2).Figure 1d) shows a simultaneous
correction of irradiance and tem perature. When the procedure is interpolation.
Otherwise, the procedure is extrapolation.

It should be noted that when G1f G2, r , and T2 are fixed, G3 and T$ may not be chosen
independently, because they have the relationships given in form ulae (12) and (13) (Figure 2).
For example, when = 1 000 W /m2, 7^ = 20 °C, G2 = 0 W/m2, T2 = 60 °C (dark l-V curve at
60 °C), and you wish to have the new curve at G3 = 750 W /m2, a is calculated to be 0,25 by
formula (12). Therefore, r 3 is 30 °C from form ula (13).

When / SCi * /s c 2 an<^ corrected I-V characteristics around the open-circuit voltage is
required, the measured characteristics should extend beyond voc-

When there are no measured data points which exactly satisfy I 2 = 1^ + (7s c 2 ” ^sci)> the v 2
and I 2 may be calculated from interpolation of the data points in the I-V curve 2.

This method is applicable to both interpolation (0 < a < 1) and extrapolation (a < 0 or a > 1).
Interpolation gives better results than extrapolation. Extrapolation should be practiced with
caution; the user should avoid extrapolating in I-V curve regions beyond the known range and
especially in I-V curve regions where steps or kinks may interfere.

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Subfigures a) and b) show irradiance corre ction s ( r , = T2), c) shows a tem perature correction (G1 = C2) and d) shows
sim ultaneous correction of irradiance and tem perature.

F ig u re 1 - E xam ple o f the c o rre c tio n o f the l- V c h a ra c te ris tic s by


fo rm u la e ( 1 0 ) and ( 1 1 )

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The solid line and broken line show the range o f 0’3 and r 3 w hich are calcula ble by the interpolation and extrapolation,
respectively.

F igure 2 - S che m a tic d ia gra m o f the re la tio n o f Gz and T3 w h ic h can be chose n in the
s im u lta n e o u s c o rre c tio n fo r irra d ia n c e and te m p e ra tu re , fo r a fix e d se t o f Tv G1f T2,
and G2 by fo rm u la e (12) and (13)

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 -17-

4.4.3 C o rre ctio n to v a rio u s irra d ia n ce s and te m p e ra tu re s fro m three I-V cu rve s

The correction of the I-V characteristics to various ranges of irradiance and tem perature is
possible by combining the procedures described in 4.4.2. For example, when three I-V
characteristics measured at irradiances and tem peratures of (Ga, Ta), (Gb> Tb) and (Gc> Tc) are
available as shown in Figure 3 a), the I-V characteristics at any irradiance and tem perature (Gn,
r n) can be calculated as follows, assuming a linear PV device.

a) The characteristics at (Gm> r m) are calculated from those at (Ga, Ta) and (Gb, r b).

b) The characteristics at (Gn, r n) are calculated from those at (Gm, r m) and (Gc, Tc).

EXAM PLE: When { Go. aT ), (Gh,o oT.), (Gr,


c Tc) and (Gn,
n nT ) are (950 W /m 2, 15 °C). (850 W /m 2, 25 °C). (1 100 W /m 2,
30 °C) and (1 000 W /m 2, 25 °C) respectively, then (6'm, Tm) are (900 W /m 2, 20 °C).

The shaded area in subfigure a) shows the range which can be calculated by interpolation only. S ubfigure b) shows
an exam ple o f the l-V cha racteristics which correspond to subfigure a).

Figure 3 - S che m a tic d iagram o f the p ro ce s se s fo r c o rre c tin g


the I-V c h a ra c te ris tic s to v a rio u s ranges o f irradiance
and te m p e ra tu re based on three measured c h a ra c te ris tic s

4.4.4 C o rre ctio n to v a rio u s irra d ia n ce s and te m p e ra tu re s from fo u r measured I-V


cu rve s

When four I-V characteristics measured at irradiances and tem peratures of (Ga, Ta), (Gb, 7’b),
(Gc, Tc) and (Gd, 7*d) are available as shown in Figure 4, the /- V characteristics at any irradiance
and tem perature (Gn, r n) can be calculated as follows. This process is useful for correction of
the characteristics in a wide range of irradiance and tem perature. Although the pair of (G|, r ()
and (Gm, r m) to calculate the characteristics at (Gn, r n) is not unique, good correction results
are usually available when (Ga - G,)/(Ga - Gb) = (Gc - Gm)/(GC - Gd) is satisfied.

a) The characteristics at (Gh Ti) are calculated from those at (Ga, Ta) and (Gb, Tb).

b) The characteristics at (Gm, Tm) are calculated from those at (Gc, Tc) and (Gd, r d).
c) The characteristics at (Gn, Tn) are calculated from those at (G(, T{) and (Gm, r m).

EXAMPLE 2: W hen (Ga, T J , ( Gb, Tb), (Gc, Tc), (Ga, Td) and (C n, Tn) are (500 W /m 2, 55 °C), (4 0 0 W /m 2, 31 °C),
(1 000 W /m 2, 60 °C), (950 W /m 2, 32 °C) and (800 W /m 2, 45 °C) respectively, then ((?,, r,) and (Gm, T J are (450 W /m 2,
43 °C) and (975 W /m 2, 46 °C) respectively.

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The I-V characteristics in the range of irradiance and tem perature shown by the shaded area of
Figure 4 can be calculated by linear interpolation. The characteristics in the range other than
the shaded area may be calculated by using linear extrapolation. However, care should be
taken that extrapolation not result in poor correction accuracy.

Inradiance
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The shaded area shows the range which can be calculated by interpolation only.

Figure 4 - S che m a tic d iagram o f the p ro ce s se s fo r c o rre c tin g the I-V c h a ra c te ris tic s
to v a rio u s ranges o f irra d ia n ce and te m p e ra tu re based on fo u r measured
c h a ra c te ris tic s

4.5 C o rre c tio n p ro c e d u re 4

When the correction performance param eters are unknown, correction procedure 4 provides a
method for I-V curve corrections [4]. The procedure is fundam entally based on the single-diode
model and requires only the bandgap of the material and the number of cells connected in
series to be known. The method has been validated under a broad range of tem peratures for
c-Si technologies. It is best applicable to irradiance corrections when the measured and target
irradiance are both in the range 300 W /m 2 to 1 200 W/m2. This procedure may not be applicable
to devices which do not follow the single-diode model, such as degraded devices and partially
shaded devices.

The Rs which is used for the irradiance correction in formula (15), can be determined from a
single I-V curve as described in 6.5. The value of s, which is used for the tem perature correction
in form ula (17), is basically independent of tem perature and irradiance. A typical value of
1,232 V is applicable to c-Si PV devices.

The measured current-voltage curve shall be translated to the target tem perature and irradiance
values by applying the following formulae:

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 - 19

l\ = ' ı + / s c ı x ( ğ - l ) (14)

K 'l-V i-fls X d 'i-/,) <15)

h = ^ l + a r e l X ^ SC .ST C X O 'z ~ ^ l)

K2 = ^ i + (7’2 - r a) x - x ( r i - n s x f ) (17)
M

where:

/ 1f ^ are coordinates of points on the measured characteristics;

/ ' 1f F-j are coordinates of points on the characteristics corrected for irradiance;
/ 2, V2 are coordinates of the corresponding points on the characteristic corrected for
irradiance and tem perature;
G1 is the irradiance measured with the reference device, corrected for tem perature and
linearity of the reference device and the SMM;
G2 is the target irradiance for the DUT;
T.| is the measured tem perature of the DUT;

T2 is the target temperature;

/ Sc i is the measured short-circuit current of the DUT at and T^\

/sc stc *s ^ e short-circuit current of the DUT at STC ;

ffrei is the relative current tem perature coefficient o f the DUT measured at 1 000 W /m2. It
expresses the relative change of short-circuit current with respect to its value at STC;
the coefficient is expressed in percent per unit tem perature and should be scaled by a
fraction of 100 when used in the form ulae (e.g. are( = 0,045 % K ' 1 = 0,00045 K_1). For
commercial c Si a typical value of 0,045 % K-1 may be used when the specific value is
not available;
Rs is the internal series resistance of the DUT;

ns is the number of cells connected in series;

£ is a device dependent constant expressed in units of volt. The constant represents the
product of ideality factor of the DUT with the bandgap of the photovoltaic material and
divided by electron’s elementary charge; for c-Si it is typically 1,232 V. For devices
other than c-Si, the value should be optimized to yield best translation results.

When unknown /s c , s t c can be derived from the actual measurement using the following
expression:

_ lOOCWm- 2 __________ /sc__________


SCSTC C, X (1 + are| x (7-! - 25°C))

NOTE A typical range fo r the tem perature co e fficie n t «re| of c-Si m odules is from 0,03 % /K to 0,06 %/K w ith respect
to the /§ c at STC.

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5 D e t e r m in a t io n o f t e m p e r a t u r e c o e f f i c i e n t s

5.1 General

For PV devices, tem perature coefficients (TCs) are commonly used for the following electrical
parameters: short-circuit current (TC = a), open-circuit voltage (TC = 0) and maximum power
(TC = S).

These parameters may be determined from measurements in natural or simulated sunlight. A


distinction has to be made between tem perature coefficients (in respective unit/K or unit/°C)
and the relative tem perature coefficient expressed in percentage per unit tem perature (%/K
or %/°C).

- Temperature coefficients (a, p and <)') expressed in units of current, voltage or power per
unit tem perature (A/K, V/K and W/K or A/°C, V/°C and W/°C respectively) are only valid at
the irradiance level and spectrum at which they were measured. For linear PV devices with
respect to irradiance (typically the case for c-Si), a, S coefficients scale approximately
linearly with irradiance, while p remains approxim ately constant. This approximation may be
used over an irradiance range of ±30 % of this level.
- Relative tem perature coefficients (are|, p re] and Sre]) expressed in percentage per unit
tem perature (%/K or %/°C) can be determined by dividing the calculated value of
tem perature coefficients a, p, and ö by the values of short-circuit current, open-circuit
voltage and maximum power respectively determined from the least squares fit at 25 °C
corresponding to an irradiance of 1 000 W/m2. The relative coefficients so determined are
valid at the irradiance and spectrum at which the measurements were made. For linear PV
devices with respect to irradiance (typically the case for c-Si), relative temperature
coefficients «re) and /?re) are valid over the entire range of irradiance for which the device is
linear according to IEC 60904-10.

The tem perature coefficients of a thin-film PV device may depend upon the total irradiance, the
spectral irradiance and the thermal history of the PV device. When tem perature coefficients are
referred to, the history concerning the conditions and the results of irradiation along with thermal
history shall be indicated.

Formula (1) can be utilized to determine the irradiance from the measured short-circuit current
of the reference cell, in order to measure the tem perature coefficients of the DUT at irradiance
levels other than 1 000 W /m2. Formula (1) only holds for linear reference cells which are linear
in / sc with irradiance, otherwise a correction according to IEC 60904-10 should be made. A
linearity check according to IEC 60904-10 on the DUT should be performed if interpolation of
tem perature coefficients between irradiances is needed.

Some technologies, such as silicon heterojunction (SHJ)[5], or thin-film may exhibit a non-linear
tem perature coefficient with tem perature. For these devices, it is recommended to measure the
tem perature dependence over a broad tem perature range (e.g. 15 °C to 75 °C) and specify the
tem perature range for which the determined tem perature coefficient is applicable.

5.2 A p p a ra tu s

The measuring apparatus shall comply with the following:

a) The apparatus and instrum entation shall comply with the requirem ents of IEC 60904-1 and
its relevant subparts.

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 -2 1 -

b) If a solar sim ulator is used as radiant source it shall comply with class BBB or better in
accordance with IEC 60904-9. The solar sim ulator shall produce continuous spectral
irradiance (i.e. uninterrupted in wavelength) near the bandgap of the DUT in order to avoid
measurement artefacts due to a possible shift of the spectral responsivity edge with
tem perature and therefore a change in the spectral mismatch of the DUT during the
measurement sequence. IEC 60904-10 provides guidance on how to deal with the possible
changes in spectral mismatch due to tem perature for measurements with solar simulators
and under natural sunlight.
c) The apparatus includes equipment necessary to change and/or control the tem perature of
the DUT over the range of interest. Each equipm ent used to change tem perature can
produce a different tem perature non-uniform ity on the DUT and therefore a specific
uncertainty calculation is necessary to account for this.

NOTE The follow ing equipm ent has been used successfully:
- blowers, allow ing cooling and heating of the DUT by airflow ;
- m ounting blocks w ith variable tem perature in close contact w ith a single cell or an entire m odule:
- cham bers w ith a transparent window, w here internal tem perature can be controlled;
- a rem ovable shade when natural or stea dy-state sim ulated sunlight is used.

If the DUT is a module, the tem perature of the module should be measured at least at four
positions. Each sensor shall be placed in such a way that is located directly behind a cell.
The position of the four sensors shall be optimised, so the average tem perature of all
sensors coincides with the average effective junction tem perature of the module at thermal
equilibrium . Deviations between the average sensor tem perature and the average effective
junction tem perature of the module shall be accounted for in the measurement uncertainty
analysis. There is no general optimum position for the tem perature sensors, but this rather
depends on the measurement set-up. An example configuration is shown in Figure 5, which
corresponds to a set-up where the tem perature non-uniform ity is vertically distributed
without significant effects around the edges.

☆ ☆


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Figure 5 - Exam ple p o s itio n s f o r m e a su rin g the tem pe ra ture


o f the te s t m odule beh in d the cells

d) For bifacial modules, tem perature coefficient measurements can be performed utilising
either single-side, or double-side illum ination method. When the single-side illumination
method is employed determine the tem perature coefficients utilizing the same procedure as
in mono-facial modules but insuring no backside irradiation. The backside shall be covered
such that the contribution from the non-exposed side of the module is limited to or below
the levels specified for “ non-irradiated background" in IEC TS 60904-1-2. When the double­
side illum ination method is employed, care shall be taken to minimise shading from the
tem perature sensors. When contact sensors are used, sensors should be placed preferably
along the solar cell busbars and fixed with transparent thermal tape.

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e) If contact tem perature sensors are used, heat transfer paste can also be utilised to enhance
the therm al coupling between the module and the sensor. Thermal tape shall be also used
to locally insulate sensors to the ambient.
f) If infrared tem perature sensors are used care shall be taken to account for the em issivity of
glass, or polymeric backsheet. Typical em issivity values are 0,85 to 0,90 for glass and 0,90
to 0,95 for white polymeric backsheet.
g) If the DUT undergoes heating or cooling, thermal equilibrium is not reached. In this case
care shall be taken as back surface tem peratures may strongly differ from the effective
junction tem perature. The tem perature difference between cell junction and back surface
should be minimized by m aintaining the tem perature of the DUT stable at the level of interest
for sufficient time. The module Vo c can be used as indicator to confirm if the cell junction
tem perature has been stabilized.

5.3 Procedure in natural o r stea d y-sta te sim u la te d s u n lig h t

TCs measurement in natural sunlight shall only be made when:

- the irradiance variation caused by short-term oscillations (clouds, haze, or smoke) is less
than ±2 % of the total in-plane irradiance as measured by the reference device;
- the wind speed is less than 2 m s " 1.

Measurements in natural sunlight shall be made as expeditiously as possible to minimize the


effect of changes in the spectral irradiance conditions. If this is not possible, SMM calculation
according to IEC 60904-7 is required if the reference device is not spectrally matched to the
DUT. The SMM calculation can then be applied as SMM correction to every single measurement
at all tem peratures or, if the change in SMM is not larger than 1 % over the entire range of
tem peratures, it may be included as component of the SMM uncertainty in the measurement
uncertainty calculation.

a) If the DUT and reference device (IEC 60904-2) are equipped with tem perature controls, set
the controls at the desired level.
b) If tem perature controls are not used, expose and shade the DUT and the reference device
from the natural or the steady-state simulated sunlight and from the wind until their
tem perature is uniform within ±2 °C of the target tem perature. Alternatively, allow the DUT
to equilibrate to its stabilized tem perature, or cool the DUT to a point below the required
test tem perature and then let it warm up naturally. The reference device should also stabilize
within ±2 °C of its equilibrium tem perature before proceeding.
c) Record the I-V characteristic (or only the short-circuit current, if appropriate) and
tem perature of the DUT concurrently with recording the output and tem perature of the
reference device at the desired tem peratures. If necessary, make the measurements
imm ediately after removing the shade. Determine the values o f / s c , Vo c and Pmax.
d) Adjust the device tem perature by means of a tem perature control or alternatively exposing
and shading the DUT as required to achieve and maintain the desired temperature.
Alternately, the DUT may be allowed to warm-up naturally with the data recording procedure
of item c) performed periodically during the warm-up.
e) Ensure that, during the recording period for each data set, the DUT and reference device
tem peratures are stabilized and remain constant within ±2 °C and that the irradiance as
measured by the reference device remains constant within ±1 %.
f) If necessary, and only for devices proven to be linear according to IEC 60904-10 with
respect to irradiance, translate data to the irradiance level for which tem perature coefficients
shall be reported using one of the procedures in this document (see Clause 4).

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 - 23 -

Repeat steps c) to f). The DUT tem peratures shall be such that the range of interest is at least
30 °C and that it is spanned in at least six approxim ately equal increments. In the laboratory
practice, the range of interest is often sm aller than 30 °C (e.g. from 20 °C to 40 °C). In such
cases, the TCs can be derived from interpolation of at least six approxim ately equal increments
in the same restricted range of interest. Extrapolation of TCs outside that range shall not be
performed. If the range of tem perature used to determine tem perature coefficients is less than
30 °C, then the range of tem perature shall be listed together with the tem perature coefficient;
in this case the results may not be reliable outside of this range and shall not be used to fulfil
IEC 61215-2, MQT 04 requirements, or as nameplate, or datasheet information.

For technologies which may exhibit a non-linear tem perature coefficient with temperature,
consider expanding the tem perature range (e.g. 15 °C to 75 °C) to determine their value.

5.4 P ro ced u re w ith a pulsed s o la r s im u la to r

The procedure using a pulsed solar sim ulator is as follows:

a) Heat or cool the DUT to the tem perature of interest until its tem perature is uniform within
±2 °C. If the device is a module, the tem perature uniform ity should be checked by
measurements at four positions (an example of tem perature sensors position is shown in
Figure 5) or assumed by setup conditions (e.g. closed-box tem perature controller and
repeatability measurements). Once the device tem perature has stabilized, set the irradiance
to the desired level, using the reference device (IEC 60904-2).
b) Record the current-voltage characteristic and tem perature of the DUT and determ ine the
values of / s c , Vo c and />max.
c) Change the module tem perature in steps of approxim ately 5 °C over a range of interest of
at least 30 °C and repeat steps a) and b).

In the laboratory practice, the range of interest is often sm aller than 30 °C (e.g. from 20 °C to
40 °C). In such cases, the TCs can be derived from interpolation of at least six approxim ately
equal increments in the same restricted range of interest. Extrapolation of TCs outside that
range shall not be performed. If the range of tem perature used to determine tem perature
coefficients is less than 30 °C, then the range of tem perature shall be listed together with the
tem perature coefficient; in this case the results may not be reliable outside of this range and
shall not be used to fulfil IEC 61215-2, MQT 04 requirements, or as nameplate, or datasheet
information.

For technologies which may exhibit a non-linear tem perature coefficient with temperature,
consider expanding the tem perature range (e.g. 15 °C to 75 °C) to determine their value.

5.5 C a lcu la tio n of te m p e ra tu re c o e ffic ie n ts

The procedure to calculate tem perature coefficients is as follows:

a) From the values of / s c , Vo c and Pmax as functions of the measured device tem perature
calculate the linear least squares fit for each set of data. A plot of the data sets is also
suggested to visually check the data points.
b) The slopes of the linear least squares fit for / s c , Vo c and Pmax are, respectively, the
tem perature coefficient a of the short-circuit current, the tem perature coefficient p of the
open-circuit voltage, and the tem perature coefficient 5 of maximum power for the DUT.
When possible, it is desirable to account for the measurement uncertainty of the components
involved to calculate the percentage deviation from a linear function, as defined in
IEC 60904-10:2020, 9.3.

NOTE 1 See IEC 60904-10 to determ ine if the DUT can be considered to be linea r tow ards tem perature and
irradiance.

NOTE 2 Because the fill fa cto r o f the DUT is a fun ction o f tem perature, it is not sufficie nt to use the product o f a
and [i as the tem perature co e fficie n t of m axim um power.

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Temperature coefficients are particularly sensitive to solar sim ulator spectra close to the
bandgap of the PV DUT. Depending on the technology, change in tem perature can change the
spectral responsivity of the DUT near the bandgap, causing tem perature-dependent spectral
mismatch. Under natural sunlight spectrum, the effect of the spectral mismatch change is
usually insignificant due to the very close spectral match between the test and reference spectra.
For solar sim ulator spectra, the dependence of SMM on the tem perature of the DUT is usually
much larger. Therefore, spectral mismatch corrections should be performed for each measured
temperature, or an uncertainty analysis should be included that provides an estimation of the
magnitude of these errors.

For technologies which exhibit a non-linear tem perature coefficient the tem perature range used
to extract the tem perature coefficient shall be specified. If required, separate tem perature
coefficients for different application ranges of tem perature may be assigned.

6 D e t e r m in a t io n o f in t e r n a l s e r ie s r e s i s t a n c e R s a n d R 's

6.1 General

Series resistance, Rs and R's , describe the electrical resistance encountered by the bulk of the
semiconductor material, the m etallic contacts and interconnections between elements
connected in series. Typically, series resistances are valid within ±40 % of the irradiance where
they were determined. For linear devices, (typically the case for c-Si) they are valid within ±80 %
of the irradiance at which the series resistance was determined.

The experim ental method for determ ination of Rs or R's (depending on the chosen procedure
for I-V curve correction) is different for correction procedures 1 or 4 (with Rs ) and 2 (with R's )
although they all start from the same data set of I- V curves. Another difference is that Rs should
be ideally determined at the tem perature corresponding to the uncorrected I-V which needs to
be translated, while R's corresponds to the value of series resistance at 25 °C. These
param eters may be determined in natural sunlight or simulated sunlight by the following
procedure.

Tracing of current-voltage characteristics of the DUT at constant tem perature and at two or
more different irradiances (G^ ... GN) covering the range of interest within which the curve
translation shall be performed. The exact values of irradiances do not need to be known. For
linear devices they can be calculated according to the proportionality GN = /qc.n ^ ^sci x
(see IEC 60904-10).

For the purpose of determ ining the /?'s , I-V measurements shall be practiced with device
tem perature controlled within (25 ± 1) °C. For the purpose of determining the Rs , there is no
such lim itation, although device tem perature should ideally be as close as possible to the
tem perature corresponding to the uncorrected I-V measurement, which needs to be corrected.

Furthermore, during the I-V measurements, the device tem perature and its uniform ity shall be
stable within ±0,5 °C. The stability of the device tem perature is critical as any variation of device
tem perature that is not corrected for will lead to a different result for the internal series
resistance. Ideally, the tem perature should be stable to ±0,1 °C and in this case the contribution
of the tem perature variation to the uncertainty of internal series resistance can be of the order
of 5 % [ 6 ]. Larger tem perature variations will invariably lead to larger uncertainties in the
determined internal series resistance. In fact, when measuring large-area PV modules the
tem peratures can be typically controlled within ±0,5 °C, thus producing larger uncertainties than
what would be the ideal case. The contribution of the tem perature variations of the actual
measurements to the uncertainty of the internal series resistance as determined below shall be
explicitly considered.

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 - 25 -

Different irradiance levels can also lead to different spatial non-uniform ity patterns of irradiance
across the DUT depending on the method chosen to vary it (see IEC 60904-10). If the DUT
consists of series-connected cells, the short-circuit currents corresponding to different
irradiance levels can be affected by the spatial non-uniform ity of irradiance. Therefore, in such
cases the ratio of short-circuit currents of the DUT itself may not be a suitable parameter for
calculating the effective irradiance. In this case, the irradiance measured with the reference cell
should be considered and the non-uniform ity accounted for in the uncertainty calculation.

NOTE For the purpose of changing irradiance, see IEC 60904-10, where procedures fo r m easurem ents at varying
irradiance are described w ith relevant requirem ents.

6.2 D e term in atio n of Rs in c o rre c tio n p ro ce d u re s 1 and 4

The determination of Rs in correction procedures 1 and 4 is as follows:

a) Assuming that /SC1 is the short-circuit current of the I-V characteristic recorded at the
highest irradiance G1f translate sequentially all other (N -1 ) curves recorded at lower
irradiance (G 2 ... GN) to the G1t using Rs = 0 Q as starting value for the formulae (2) and (3)
or (14) to (17).
b) Plot the corrected I-V curves in a diagram (Figure 6 b)).
c) Increase Rs in steps of 1 mO for PV-modules and 0,1 mO for solar cells. The proper value
of Rs has been determined when the deviation of maximum power values of the translated
I-V characteristics coincide within 0,5 % or better (see Figure 6 c)). Alternatively, it is
possible to determine Rs by minimizing the difference in maximum power values.

Generally, the suggested method for determ ining Rs is a practical recommendation, which is
easy to implement by the end user. The optimum algorithm to determine Rs depends on module
and cell technology. Hence, numerical methods that optim ise the value of Rs can be utilized to
increase accuracy and reduce effort.

Care shall be taken that after optim ising the series resistance, the translated I-V curves do not
intersect. This can be caused for example by variation of non-uniform ity of irradiance at different
irradiance levels. In that case, I-V curve agreement over the whole section of the I-V curves in
the range of Pmax to vo c shall be considered for optim al match. When measuring modules with
/-F c u rv e s showing steps or kinks in the / sc to Pmax region due to mismatch of cells short-circuit
current, module degradation, non-uniform ity of irradiance or shading (e.g. for bifacial module
rear shading), the whole section of the I-V curves in the range of VPmax to Vo c shall be
considered for optimal match (Figure 7b)).

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Module current

IEC

a) M easured I-V cha racteristics at diffe re nt irradiances and con stant tem perature

b) C orrected I-V cha racteristics at Rs = 0 Q

c) C orrected I-V cha racteristics at Rs = optim al

Figure 6 - D e te rm in a tio n o f in te rn a l se rie s re sis ta n c e

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 - 27 -

Module voltage
IEC IEC

a) Inaccurate correction: C orrected I-V cha racteristics determ ined by optim ising the value o f Rs , so the maxim um
pow er values of the l-V curves coincide (/?s = optim al at P ).

b) Accurate correction: C orrected /- V cha racteristics determ ined by op tim isin g the value o f Rs , so the whole section
o f the I-V curves in the range o f Fpmax to VQC coincides (Rs = optim al at VPmax to VQC).
M ultiple sets of I-V curves are m easured at d iffe re nt irradiance levels. The embedded zoom in plots in each sub­
figure show the I-V curves in the range o f ^ Pmax to Vo c . Two of the m easured I-V curves exhibit m easurem ent
artefacts, which w ere caused by spatial non-u niform ity of irradiance. The set o f the affected I-V cha racteristics can
be recognised when translatin g all curves to the same level of irradiance by their: i) diffe re nce in / sc to the oth er I-V
curves, and ii) th e ir in te rsectio n w ith the oth er I-V curves in the region close to P max, (as shown in subfigure a)). In
such cases the optim al value o f Rs shall be determ ined by considering the w hole section o f the I-V from KPmax to VQC
for all I-V curves (as shown in subfigure b)).

Figure 7 - D e te rm in a tio n of interna l series re sista nce when the c o rre cte d I-V
c h a ra c te ris tic s in te rs e ct

6.3 D e term in atio n of R 1 a n d B2 in c o rre c tio n p ro c e d u re 2

The determ ination of 5 1 and B2, used in the irradiance correction factor /(G ), in correction
procedure 2 is as follows:

a) Assuming that /SC1 is the short-circuit current of the I-V characteristic recorded at highest
irradiance G1f translate sequentially all other (N—1) curves recorded at lower irradiance
(G2 ... GN) to the G-j, using /?'s = 0 Q and = B2 = 0 as starting values using form ulae (5)
and (6 ).
b) Plot the corrected I-V curves in a diagram (see Figure 8 b)).

NOTE 1 At given sta rt values R's = 0 Q, 5 1 = B2 = 0 on ly the translated sh o rt-circu it curre nts w ill coincide.

c) Plot the ratio of open-circuit voltage of the DUT at STC over the measured open-circuit
voltage, corresponding to different irradiance levels G, Vo c STC / Vo c , over the logarithmic
ratio of irradiance at STC over the corresponding measured irradiances G, ln(1 000/G)
(see Figure 8 c)).
d) Determine the irradiance factors B 1 and B2 by computing the second order polynomial
regression for>> = (^ o c .s tc / ^o c ) a g a in s t* = ln(1 000/G) according to formula:

y - B 2 x x2 + 5 1 x * + 1 (19)

The correct values of the irradiance factors and B2 have been determined when the open-
circuit voltages of the translated I-V characteristics assuming R's = 0 Q coincide within ±0,5 %
or better (see Figure 8 If it is not possible to find a suitable parameter B 1 and B 2 that fulfils

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the ±0,5 % requirem ent for translated FOC values, the correction procedure is not suitable for
this PV device.

NOTE 2 Step d) is applicable when I-V ch a ra cte ristics are available over a broad range o f irradiance (e.g. 100 W /m 2
to 1 100 W /m 2). W hen the m easured I-V ch a ra cte ristics correspond to a narrow range o f irradiance (i.e. ±30 % o f the
target irradiance), or when VQC scales linearly w ith the logarithm of irradiance, a sim plified approach can be em ployed
w here B2 = 0 and 8 1 is determ ined by linea r regression o f the form ula: y = B y * x + 1.

NOTE 3 The VQC irradiance correction factor B 1 is typ ica lly < 0,1 fo r linear PV devices.

6.4 D e term in atio n of R's in c o rre c tio n p ro ce d u re 2

The determination of R's in correction procedure 2 is as follows:

a) Fix and R2 to the value determined in step 6.3d). Use (/?s / "p ) x (5 mQ) as an estimate
for the internal series resistance R's , where ns is the number of series-connected cells and
np is the number of parallel-connected blocks in the DUT.

b) Increase /?'s in steps of 1 mQ for PV-modules and 0,1 mQ for solar cells. The proper value
of R's has been determined when the deviation of maximum power values of the translated
I-V characteristics coincide within 0,5 % or better (see Figure 8 e)). Alternatively, it is
possible to determine R's by minimizing the difference in maximum power values.

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 - 29 -

IEC

Key

a) M easured l-V c h a ra cte ristics at diffe re nt irradiances and con stant tem perature

b) C orrected l-V c h a ra cte ristics at B^ - B 2 - 0 and R’s = 0 Q

c) M easured Vo c STC I VQC over ln( 1 000 / G) and the second o rd er polynom ial fit

d) C orrected I-V c h a ra cte ristics at = optim al, B2 = optim al and R's = 0 Q

e) C orrected l-V cha racteristics at B 1= optim al, B2 = optim al and R's = optim al

Figure 8 - D e te rm in a tio n of irra d ia n ce c o rre c tio n fa c to rs and B2


and interna l series resistance, R's

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Generally, the suggested method for determ ining R's is a practical recommendation, which is
easy to implement by the end user. The optimum algorithm to determine R's depends on module
and cell technology. Hence, numerical methods that optim ise the value of R's can be utilized to
increase accuracy and reduce effort.

Care shall be taken that after optim ising the series resistance, the translated I-V curves do not
intersect. This can be caused for example by variation of spatial non-uniform ity of irradiance at
different irradiance levels. In that case, I-V curve agreement over the whole section of the I-V
curves in the range of Pmax to vo c shall be considered for optim al match. When measuring
modules with I-V curves showing steps or kinks in the I sc to Pmax region due to mismatch of
cells short-circuit current, module degradation, non-uniform ity of irradiance or shading (e.g. for
bifacial module rear shading), the whole section of the I-V curves in the range of VPmax to Vo c
shall be considered for optim al match (as previously shown in Figure 7b)).

6.5 D e term in atio n of Rs in c o rre c tio n p ro ce d u re 4

The determination of Rs in correction procedure 4 is as follows:

This method is used to determine Rs from a single experim ental I-V curve of a PV device. Plot
Y = - (Va - Vb) / (Ia - I b) versus JC= - { In (/sc - / a) - In (/SC ~ 7b ) } 1 (7a “ 7b)- Here. ( va- l a) and
(Vb, / b) are data points in an I-V curve as shown in Figure 9a), and scanned through the curve.
When the plot forms a straight line as shown in Figure 9b), its y-intercept shows the Rs . It is
essential that the experim ental curve forms a straight line in the plot of Figure 9a), which is
equivalent to the curve following the single-diode model. If a straight line is not obtained, this
method cannot be used for determining the Rs from the I-V curve.

a) The coefficient of determ ination R2 shall be larger than 0,995, in order to ensure that the
plot form s a straight line. The minimum and maximum values of X (A^mjn and Xmax) of the
plot shall satisfy (Xmax - Xmin) > 2 * x min.
b) The data points shall be chosen from the high voltage region of the I-V curve, since the plot
tends to deviate from a straight line in low voltage region, being affected by shunt resistance
and mismatch of cells short-circuit current, etc. A minimum of ten pairs of data points shall
be used in the plot.
c) Care should be taken that measured data points may be saturated at a certain current or
voltage level (e. g. around the short circuit or open circuit condition), resulting in many data
points at practically the same voltage and current. Those saturated data points should not
be used for the plot.

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 -3 1 -

b)

i 4

T
3
y = 2 ,3 8 2 8 x + 0,2429
R2 = 0,9999
2

Rs
0
0,5 1 1,5
Voltage (V)
IEC
M 's c - y - N 's c - 'b )
W b IEC

Figure 9 - D e term in atio n o f internal series re sista nce


o f a PV m o d ule fro m a s in g le I-V curve

The uncertainty in the estimated Rs mainly affects the V2 of formula (15) for irradiance
translation. For example, when the uncertainty of Rs is estimated to be 1 mQ and I 2 —/-j is 7 A,
its impact on the uncertainty of V2 is estimated to be 1 mQ * 7 A = 7 mV.

The Rs determined by the method described in 6.2 may be also used in procedure 4.

7 D e t e r m in a t io n o f t h e c u r v e c o r r e c t i o n f a c t o r / c a n d k '

7.1 General

The experim ental method for determination of curve correction factors k and k' is identical for
both correction procedures 1 and 2 but will normally yield different numerical values for both
procedures. They may be determined in natural sunlight or simulated sunlight by the following
procedure. For correction procedure 1 the series resistance Rs and the tem perature coefficients
a and p (Procedure 1) shall be known as they are used as inputs for the determination of k . For
correction procedure 2 the series resistance R’s and the relative tem perature coefficients are]
and fire\ (Procedure 2) shall be known as they are used as inputs for determ ination of /rand ^ .
Knowledge of the irradiance correction factors B 1 and B2, but also the relative tem perature
coefficient of open-circuit voltage, /?re| are also required for correction procedure 2 , if irradiance
corrections have to be applied.

7.2 P rocedure

The procedure for the determ ination of the curve correction factors /rand is as follows:

a) Measure the I-V characteristics of the DUT at one irradiance and at different tem peratures
(7’1 . . . r N). The latter shall be chosen to cover the range of interest within which curve
translation shall be performed. The one irradiance value considered shall lie within the range
which has been used for determ ination of the series resistance in Clause 6 (see Figure 10
a)). During the I-V measurements, the irradiance shall not vary by more than ±1 %.

NOTE See 5.2 to 5.4 for inform ation on equipm ent and m easurem ent techniques for tem perature control.

When measuring the I-V characteristics of a module, precautions shall be taken to ensure
uniform ity of the device tem perature within ±2 °C of the intended level.

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b) Assuming that is the lowest device tem perature, translate sequentially all other (N—1)
curves recorded at higher tem peratures ( T2 ... FN) to TA using \ = 0 Q/K in formula (3) or
k' = 0 Q/K in formula ( 6 ).
c) Plot the corrected I-V curves in a diagram (see Figure 10b)).
d) Starting from 0 mO/K, change /c-or k' in steps of 1 mQ/K in the positive or negative direction,
so that the curves overlap. The proper value of k or kj has been determined when the
deviation of maximum output power values of the translated I-V characteristics coincide
within ±0,5 % or better (see Figure 10c)). Alternatively, it is possible to determine kov k' by
minimizing the difference in maximum power values.

IEC

a) M easured I-V c h a ra cte ristics at diffe re nt device tem peratures

b) Tem perature corrected I-V c h a ra cte ristics with *• = 0 Q /K or k' = 0 S2/K

c) C orrected I-V cha racteristics w ith k = optim al or kj - optim al

Figure 10 - D e term in atio n o f curve c o rre c tio n fa c to r

8 Reporting

The following information shall be given if tem perature and irradiance corrections are applied
to measured I-V characteristics or reports for tem perature coefficients or series resistance are
to be delivered:

a) description and identification of the DUT when appropriate;

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 - 33 -

b) measurement conditions of irradiance and device tem perature. If the linear


interpolation/extrapolation method is applied all sets of (Gj.Tj) shall be reported:
c) identification of the correction procedure used (from Clause 4);
d) values of all the parameters used for /-^ c o rre c tio n together with their uncertainty;
e) irradiance level to which tem perature coefficients or parameters /rand kj are referred, when
applicable;
f) a statem ent of the estimated translation accuracy;
g) tem perature at which the series resistance Rs or R's is determined, when applicable;

If I - V correction param eters are measured and reported the following information shall be given:

- identification of the method used to measure the correction parameters;


- ranges of irradiance and device tem perature that were used as basis for determ ination of I-
V correction parameters;
- measurement derived results supported by tables, graphs and photographs as appropriate;
- spectral irradiance distribution of the light source;
- a statem ent of estimated measurement uncertainty for I-V correction parameters;
- statement whether the PV device can be regarded as linear or not for the conditions applied
to measure the parameters. If the linearity of the device in accordance with IEC 60904-10
is not known, then a statem ent shall be made to this effect;
- electrical condition of the DUT regarding history of tem perature and light conditioning prior
to the measurements, if applicable;
- any deviations from, additions to, or exclusions from the measurement procedures for
determination of I-V correction parameters (Clauses 5 to 7).

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Annex A
(informative)

A lternative procedures for series resistance determ ination

A.1 General

Annex A aims to provide information for alternative procedures that may be employed to
determine series resistance of the DUT experim entally. The procedures described in Annex A
should not be used to replace the methods described in 6.2 and 6.3 for I-V corrections.

These methods can be used to provide supplem entary information to the user for purposes of
cross-checking the value of the series resistance extracted by applying methods of 6.2 or 6.3.

A .2 D if f e r e n t ia l r e s is t a n c e a t ^ o c a g a i n s t in v e r s e i r r a d ia n c e m e t h o d

Calculate the differential resistance at vo c from the I-V characteristics at a fixed tem perature
and at different irradiance levels corresponding to the approxim ate irradiance range of interest
(typically within ±40 % of the target irradiance). In practice, the differential resistance d r /d / at
Vo c may be approximated as the slope of V against / in the range of ±3 % of the measured vOC-

Plot the resistance at Vo c versus the inverse of irradiance. For linear devices with respect to
irradiance, the inverse of the measured short-circuit current may be also used (see Figure A .1 ).

t 1/suns

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200


1//SC(1/A)
IEC

F ig u re A.1 - D e te rm in a tio n o f in te rn a l se rie s re sis ta n c e

Determine the most linear region from 0 to increasing 1 / G (or 1 / / s c ) to perform a linear least
squares fit to the resistance at Vo c versus 1 / I sc data. The internal series resistance Rs is the
intercept of resistance at zero 1 / G (or 1 / / s c ).

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IEC 60891:2021 © IEC 2021 - 35 -

Bibliography

[1] J. Sandstrom, “A method for predicting solar cell current-voltage curve characteristics
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