LED-based characterization of solar cells for underwater applications

Alice Zhang; B Edward Sartor; Jason A Röhr; André D Taylor

doi:10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102833

LED-based characterization of solar cells for underwater applications

STAR Protoc. 2024 Mar 15;5(1):102833. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102833. Epub 2024 Jan 26.

Authors

Alice Zhang¹, B Edward Sartor¹, Jason A Röhr², André D Taylor³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.
² Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA; Singh Center for Nanotechnology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; General Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA. Electronic address: jasonrohr@nyu.edu.
³ Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA. Electronic address: andre.taylor@nyu.edu.

Abstract

Improved solar energy harvesting in aquatic environments would allow for superior environmental monitoring. However, developing underwater solar cells is challenging as evaluation typically requires deployment in the field or in large water tanks that can simulate aquatic light conditions. Here, we present a protocol to test underwater solar cells using a light-emitting diode (LED)-based characterization technique usable in a typical laboratory setting. We describe steps for installing and running Python code, matching LEDs to irradiance, characterizing underwater solar cells, and calculating underwater solar cell efficiency. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Röhr et al.¹.

Keywords: Energy; Physics.

MeSH terms

Solar Energy*
Water

Substances

Water