Bypass Diodes in Solar Panels

Bypass Diodes which in electronics we know as free-wheeling diodes, are wired in parallel with
individual solar cells or panels, to provide a current path around them in the event that a cell or
panel becomes faulty or open-circuited.

This use of bypass diodes allows a series (called a string) of connected cells or panels to continue
supplying power at a reduced voltage rather than no power at all.

Bypass diodes are connected in reverse bias between a solar cells (or panel) positive and
negative output terminals and has no effect on its output. Ideally there would be one bypass
diode for each solar cell, but this can be rather expensive so generally one diode is used per small
group of series cells.
A solar panel is constructed using individual solar cells, and solar cells are made from layers
of silicon semiconductor materials. One layer of silicon is treated with a substance to create an
excess of electrons. This becomes the negative or N-type layer. The other layer is treated to
create a deficiency of electrons, and becomes the positive or P-type layer similar to transistors
and diodes.
When assembled together with conductors, this silicon arrangement becomes a light-sensitive
PN-junction semiconductor. In fact photovoltaic solar cells or PVs as they are more commonly
called, are no more than big, flat photo sensitive diodes.

Photovoltaic solar cells convert the photon light around the PN-junction directly into electricity
without any moving or mechanical parts. PV cells produce energy from sunlight, not from heat.
In fact, they are most efficient when they are cold!.
When exposed to sunlight (or other intense light source), the voltage produced by a single solar
cell is about 0.58 volts DC, with the current flow (amps) being proportional to the light energy
(photons). In most photovoltaic cells, the voltage is nearly constant, and the current is
proportional to the size of the cell and the intensity of the light.

The equivalent circuit of a PV, shown on the left, is that of a battery with a series internal
resistance, RINTERNAL, similar to any other conventional battery. However, due to variations in
internal resistance, the cell voltage and therefore available current will vary between
photovoltaic cells of equivalent size and structure, connected to the same load, and under the
same light source so this must be accounted for in the solar panel assemblies you buy.
The silicon wafer of the photovoltaic solar cell that faces the sunlight consist of the electrical
contacts and is coated with an anti-reflective coating that helps absorb the sunlight more
efficiently. Electrical contacts provide the connection between the semiconductor material and
the external electrical load, such as a light bulb or battery.
When sunlight shines on a photovoltaic cell, photons of light strike the surface of the
semiconductor material and liberate electrons from their atomic bonds. During manufacture
certain doping chemicals are added to the semiconductors composition to help to establish a path
for the freed electrons. These paths creates a flow of electrons forming an electrical current
which starts to flow over the surface of the photovoltaic solar cell.
Metallic strips are placed across the surface of a photovoltaic cell to collect the electrons which
form the positive (+) connection of the cell. The back of the cell, the side away from the
incoming sunlight consists of a layer of aluminium or molybdenum metal which forms the
negative () connection to the cell. Then a photovoltaic solar cell has two electrical connections,
one positive, on the top, and one negative, at the bottom as shown.

Photovoltaic Solar Cell Construction

The type of solar power produced by a photovoltaic solar cell is DC the same as from a battery.
Most photovoltaic solar cells produce a no load open circuit voltage of about 0.5 to 0.6 volts
when there is no external circuit connected. This output voltage ( VOUT ) depends very much on
the load current ( I ) demands of the PV cell.
For example on very cloudy or dull day the current demand would be low and so the cell could
provide the full output voltage, but at a reduced output current. But as the current demand of the
load increases a brighter light (solar radiation) is needed at the junction to maintain a full output
voltage, VOUT.
However, there is a physical limit to the maximum current that a single photovoltaic solar cell
can provide no matter how intense or bright the suns radiation is. This is called the maximum
deliverable current and is symbolised as IMAX.
The IMAX value of a single photovoltaic solar cell depends upon the size or surface area of the cell
(especially the PN-junction), the amount of direct sunlight hitting the cell, its efficiency of
converting this solar power into a current and of course the type of semiconductor material that
the cell is manufactured from either silicon, gallium arsenide, cadmium sulphide or cadmium
telluride etc.
So when selecting blocking diodes or bypass diodes to connect to solar cells or panels, this
maximum current value, IMAX needs to be taken into account.

Diodes in Photovoltaic Arrays

The PN-junction diode acts like solid state one way electrical valve that only allows electrical
current to flow through themselves in one direction only. The advantage of this is that diodes can
be used to block the flow of electric current from other parts of an electrical solar circuit. When
used with a photovoltaic solar panel, these types of silicon diodes are generally referred to as
Blocking Diodes.
Bypass Diodes are used in parallel with either a single or a number of photovoltaic solar cells to
prevent the current(s) flowing from good, well-exposed to sunlight solar cells overheating and
burning out weaker or partially shaded solar cells by providing a current path around the bad
cell. Blocking diodes are used differently than bypass diodes.
Bypass diodes in solar panels are connected in parallel with a photovoltaic cell or panel to
shunt the current around it, whereas blocking diodes are connected in series with the PV panels
to prevent current flowing back into them. Blocking diodes are therefore different than bypass
diodes although in most cases the diode is physically the same, but they are installed differently
and serve a different purpose. Consider our photovoltaic solar array below.

Bypass Diodes in Photovoltaic Arrays

As we said earlier, diodes are devices that allow current to flow in one direction only. The diodes
coloured green above are bypass diodes, one in parallel with each solar panel to provide a low
resistance path. Bypass diodes in solar panels and arrays need to be able to safely carry this short
circuit current.
The two diodes coloured red are referred to as the blocking diodes, one in series with each
series branch. Blocking diodes are different than bypass diodes, but in most cases the two diodes
are physically the same. However they are installed differently and serves a different purpose.
These blocking diodes, also called a series diode or isolation diode, ensure that the electrical
current only flows in one direction OUT of the series array to the external load, controller or
batteries.
The reason for this is to prevent the current generated by the other parallel connected PV panels
in the same array flowing back through a weaker (shaded) network and also to prevent the fully
charged batteries from discharging or draining back through the array at night. So when multiple
solar panels are connected in parallel, blocking diodes should be used in each parallel connected
branch.
Generally speaking, blocking diodes are used in PV arrays when there are two or more parallel
branches or there is a possibility that some of the array will become partially shaded during the
day as the sun moves across the sky. The size and type of blocking diode used depends upon the
type of photovoltaic array.
Two types of diodes are available as bypass diodes in solar panels and arrays: the PN-junction
silicon diode and the Schottky barrier diode. Both are available with a wide range of current
ratings. The Schottky barrier diode has a much lower forward voltage drop of about 0.4 volts as
opposed to the PN diodes 0.7 volt drop for a silicon device.
This lower voltage drop allows a savings of one full PV cell in each series branch of the solar
array therefore, the array is more efficient since less power is dissipated in the blocking diode.
Most manufacturers include both blocking diodes and bypass diodes in their solar panels
simplifying the design.