Dear John,

The solar cells must be qualified according to standard test conditions. Standard test condition as an illumination of AM1, temperature of 300 K and one atmospheric. This is required to compare the solar cell performance from different vendors. All these tests are made in door in a laboratory where one illuminates the modules by sun simulators producing AM1 like illumination.

Best wishes

ِIn addition to the description of Prof. Zekry, the sun simulator provides a near real spectrum of the solar irradiance, which cannot be provided with usual lamps. The solar-PV outputs are dependent on the spectrum of the used light source, even if the same equivalent W/m2 is provided. In simplified tests for general performance demonstration, usual lamps may used.

Sun simulator can generate artificial light which is almost equivalent to real solar spectrum but your mention lamps could not do that. That is why sun simulator/ solar simulator is used to measure the solar cell efficiency.

Thank you to Dr. Abdelhalim, Dr.Mohamed El-Shimy and Dr. Abu Kowsar. These answers are very useful and clarifying my doubts.

Thank You

Solar simulators are designed to provide a good match to the light from the sun in the middle of the day with good atmospheric conditions; this is where solar cell efficiency measurements are made. However, you should be a bit careful if you are characterising multijunction cells, as they are more spectrally sensitive, if you want really accurate readings.

As pointed out it is an industry standard. The use of the simulators provides as near consistent light source as possible. Otherwise you would be introducing unwanted variations and providing variable results. Consistency is the key. It is worth noting that it is unlikely that the precise laboratory results would be achieved under normal operating conditions in the field. At best these are really guidelines and estimates there will always be variations to actual performance.

Sun simulator can generate artificial light which is almost equivalent to real solar spectrum. The facilities like varying illumination level, temperature are the added advantages.

In outdoor, the modules are exposed to the field condition having changing Irradiance, Temperature, Wind speed.. along with other factors RH...solar Elevation and Azimuth angle ..etc. These outdoor measurment shall be converted to STC condition therotically using IEC 60829 procedure.Still sun stimulator normally designed to meet the IEC 60904-9 standard with Class AAA specification. Measurement uncertainity is negligilbe in Indoor STC condition normally Irradiance at 1000 W/m2 , temperature 25C Deg and Air mass 1.5 give more accurate value.

The solar simulator gives the ideal conditions needed to test the solar cells away from the other factors affecting the solar radiation in the outdoor conditions. Also, you can test the cells under manually selected air masses as you like.

You may look at this

What Does a Solar Simulator Do?

Technology is a wonderful thing. UV testing dates back all the way to the 19th century, as scientists discovered the effects of UV light. The ever-increasing advancements allow us to use UV testing in a way that we would never have thought possible in the 19th century. Now with a solar simulator and other innovative equipment, we can utilize this technology to accurately gauge the effects of the sun’s ultraviolet light over a number of years.

Let’s look at the 16 S series solar simulators. This uses a xenon arc lamp and high performance optics for collimation and uniformity. An arc lamp uses an electric arc to generate light and can reach a temperature of a few thousand degrees. With this piece of equipment, we have the capability to reproduce years of UV exposure in a matter of days. Simulators can conduct testing on various levels of SPF to analyze the effects of sunscreen as well. We can see the effects of UV light that is up to 30 times stronger than tropical sun.

As a unique science experiment, your lab can utilize the Solar Light Company’s solar simulators to test various materials, like plastic, textiles, or even cardboard and paper products, through UV light. Though you can easily conduct your own experiment in your own lab using electromagnetic lights to see the effects on a certain product, the ability to look at the effects over multiple years of ultraviolet light is something completely different. It starts with temperature. Whether in a temperate zone or a tropical zone, the temperature can have a significant impact on the effects of a colorimetric measurement.

Complete with temperature sensors and the proficiency of testing through simulated indoor and outdoor activities, Solar Light Company solar simulator will utilize this technology to conduct environmental weathering tests in an effort to reveal how a specific type of material will react to UV radiation exposure over a period of up to 15 years or more. We offer a wide selection of solar simulators that can reliably produce UV levels several times stronger than tropical sun, without any of the associated heat load.

source : https://solarlight.com/what-does-a-solar-simulator-do/

Hi,

In the energy harvesting for IoT (Internet of things) application presents a straightforward solution for easily powering those remote devices using clean energy. The power-generating element must be selected after considering the type of energy to be collected from the surrounding environment, whether vibration, light, or heat. The most common elements used are solar, piezoelectric, or thermoelectric.

Therefore, the standard of the emerging PV applied in IoT follow

(1) For Outdoor (Solar) environment, the solar simulator meet IEC 60904-9.

(2) For Indoor (Lighting) environment, the indoor lighting simulator meet SEMI PV80.

More detail for those test method, please see

https://www.researchgate.net/project/Performance-rating-measurement-of-emerging-PV-for-Outdoor-Solar-AM15G-and-Indoor-lighting/update/5a1ccc354cde267c3e6f269a

or

https://www.researchgate.net/project/Performance-rating-measurement-of-emerging-PV-for-Outdoor-Solar-AM15G-and-Indoor-lighting

Thank you.

Best wishes

Mickey