SOLEY is a graphical user interface (GUI)-based simulation package for photovoltaic cells. It combines optical modeling using the Transfer Matrix Method, and device modeling using an extension of the detailed balance model, which considers various recombination mechanisms, including Shockley–Read–Hall. SOLEY handles natively multijunction and incorporates several useful functionalities such as generation function export, batch calculation, or automatic optical stack optimization. For systems where transport is limited by photogeneration and recombination rather than field-driven drift, SOLEY offers fast and insightful predictions, while existing drift-diffusion models remain preferable when spatially resolved carrier transport dominates. SOLEY will be updated through the upcoming years with new features.
SOLEY is a new photovoltaic device simulation package that combines the transfer matrix method for optical modeling with an extended detailed balance framework for electrical simulation. Unlike traditional drift-diffusion models, SOLEY operates with fewer input parameters while maintaining physical accuracy, and it is designed to be accessible for both research and educational purposes. The software includes several features such as native multijunction support, Schockley–Read–Hall recombination modeling with customizable pathways, batch calculation, optical stack optimization, and generation profile calculation. A validation of the model against solar cell capacitor simulator (SCAPS) demonstrates comparable results for a baseline kesterite solar cell. SOLEY is designed as a complementary tool to existing simulation software, offering rapid calculations suitable for high-throughput optimization and providing a perspective closer to thermodynamics on photovoltaic devices with a user-friendly interface. This freely distributed package is also the first one to rely mainly on an extension of the detailed balance model, and represents a counterpart to other photovoltaic modelling packages, which can be of interest for researchers of all levels of seniority.
Solar RRL, Volume 9, Issue 24, December 2025. Read More
