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How to Measure a Solar Cell IV Curve

Photovoltaic solar cells take in rich sunlight and convert it to perhaps even richer electrical power. Of course, the output power from a solar cell gets higher as the intensity of sunlight gets brighter, but there are other factors that influence the output power. Power is the product of current and voltage, so measuring the current (I) and voltage (V) will characterize the solar cell's behavior.

Things You'll Need

Two multimeters
Variable resistor

Instructions

- 1
  Set one multimeter to measure current, and connect one terminal of the solar cell to the current jack of the multimeter.
- 2
  Connect the common jack of the multimeter to one terminal on the variable resistor. Connect the other terminal of the resistor to the other terminal of the solar cell.
- 3
  Set the other multimeter to read voltage and connect the leads to the two solar cell terminals.
- 4
  Set the variable resistor to an open circuit setting. Illuminate the solar cell. Record the voltage (the current will be zero with an open circuit).
- 5
  Step the variable resistor through different values, recording the voltage and current at each different resistance value.
- 6
  Set the resistor to a value of zero ohms, that is, a short circuit. Record the current (the voltage will be zero).
- 7
  Plot the measured current vs. the measured voltage, and the I-V curve will be complete. The power at any point on the curve is the current multiplied by the voltage.

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