A PV cell is essentially a large-area p–n semiconductor junction that captures the energy from photons to create electrical energy. At the semiconductor level, the p–n junction creates a depletion region with an electric field in one direction. When a photon with sufficient energy hits the. The basic structure of a PV cell can be broken down and modeled as basic electrical components. Figure 4 shows the semiconductor p–n junction and the various components that make up a PV cell. The photon-to. While there are many environmental factors that affect the operating characteristics of a PV cell and its power generation, the two main factors are solar irradiance G, measured in W/m2, and temperature T,. The I–V curve of a PV cellis shown in Figure 6. The star indicates the maximum power point (MPP) of the I–V curve, where the PV will produce its maximum power. At voltages below the MPP, the current is a relative constant as voltage changes such that it acts similar to a current source. At voltages above the MPP, the voltage is relatively. Based on the I–V curve of a PV cell or panel, the power–voltage curve can be calculated. The power–voltage curve for the I–V curve shown in Figure 6 is obtained as given in Figure 7, where the MPP is the maximum point of the curve, labeled with a star. The I–V curve and power–voltage curve showed are under a specific irradiance and.