End-of-life power predictions of Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ solar cells

We present power predictions of Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/-based solar cells in a number of reference missions. The power predictions include the thermal balance, the radiation degradation, and the effect of annealing. The calculations demonstrate the necessity to improve the thermal emissivity of the solar cells. The annealing at operational temperatures balances the radiation degradation, resulting in negligible power loss. The results are compared to triple junction GaAs-based solar cells. The higher the orbit, the more attractive Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ cells are for space.