Performance evaluation of solar simulator

The solar simulator is not only a light source for simulating sunlight, but also a set of test systems. Because solar cells are nonlinear components, testing their performance usually needs to be evaluated through the whole IV curve.

The technical parameters of the solar simulator include: the spot area is less than or equal to 40 mm * 40 mm, and the spectral matching degree of the light source reaches AM 1.5G? Class A, spot irradiance exceeds 1200W/m2, spot uniformity is ≤ 2% (Class A), light intensity stability is ≤ 0.5% (Class A) (constant light mode is 1 hour measurement), with automatic timer, conforming to IEC60904-9 standard, and bulb life is ≥/kloc.

The technical characteristics of the solar simulator mainly include: constant light intensity, digital control, high-speed synchronous acquisition, infrared temperature measurement, automatic control and artificial light imitation. These characteristics ensure that the solar simulator plays an indispensable role in the photovoltaic industry.

The performance evaluation of the solar simulator mainly involves the following aspects:

1.？ Spectral matching: The spectrum generated by the solar simulator should be as close as possible to the solar spectrum, so as to truly simulate the sunlight irradiation conditions. The evaluation of spectrum matching can be carried out by comparing the wavelength distribution and peak intensity of the spectrum output by the solar simulator with that of the solar spectrum.

2.？ Illumination intensity: The illumination intensity generated by the solar simulator should be equivalent to that of the sun. The evaluation of light intensity can be completed by measuring the radiation intensity of the solar simulator at a specific wavelength.

3.？ Uniformity: the illumination area of the solar simulator should be as uniform as possible to ensure that all parts of the measured object are exposed to the same illumination conditions. The uniformity can be evaluated by measuring the illumination intensity of each point in the illumination area.

4.？ Stability: During the long-term operation of the solar simulator, its performance parameters such as spectrum, light intensity and uniformity should remain stable. The stability evaluation can be completed by monitoring the performance changes of the solar simulator during continuous operation.

5.？ Energy consumption and life span: The energy consumption and life span of the solar simulator are also important indicators to evaluate its performance. Lower energy consumption and longer service life can reduce the operation cost and maintenance frequency, and improve the practicability of the solar simulator.

6.？ Convenience of operation: The convenience of operation of the solar simulator is related to the user's experience. The evaluation of operation convenience can be carried out from the aspects of equipment instruction manual, operation interface and equipment size.

7.？ System integration: For large-scale solar simulation system, its system integration is also an important aspect of evaluating performance. Including cooperation between devices, data transmission and control integration.

To sum up, the performance evaluation of solar simulator needs to comprehensively consider spectrum matching, light intensity, uniformity, stability, energy consumption life, operation convenience, system integration and many other factors. By optimizing these evaluation indexes, the performance and application value of the solar simulator can be improved.