4.1.2. Thermalization
When EPh>EG, thermalization occurs, it applies for photons which have energy higher than the band gap. The excess energy is dissipated as heat. This heat increases the temperature of solar cell which further increases the reverse saturation current due to increase in concentration of intrinsic carriers and diffusion length of minority carriers. This increase in reverse saturation current decreases the open circuit voltage [25].
The above two losses alone is responsible for loss of half of the incident solar energy in a solar cell.