Solar cell simulations made easy

Numerical device simulations are a very powerful tool for the development of new types of highly efficient solar cells. The underlying theoretical framework describes many fundamental aspects of the complex flow of light through a photovoltaic device down to the atomic level, such that the most crucial simulation parameters can even be taken from first principles quantum mechanical simulations. But simpler approaches based on the Shockley diode equation are often sufficient to get an initial idea about the performance of a given basic material as part of a novel photovoltaic device. We discuss some of these simplified approaches and illustrate their applications, including the use of data from first principles simulations and/or experimental studies.