Concentrating Photovoltaics (CPV) has the promise of producing solar cells with high cell efficiencies, which result in a reduction in the cost of operating a PV module. However, a CPV system requires the integration of CPV solar cells, modules and CPV optics into one efficient system. OAI’s focus is CPV cell testing methodology. The CPV cells can now be tested using OAI’s advanced standalone CPV Simulators for low dose and high dose configurations. The low dose CPV Solar Simulator provides exposure up to 50 Suns, whereas, the high dose CPV Solar Simulator provides exposure up to 1500 Suns. The low and high dose simulators provide exposure in varying Sun concentrations in various beam sizes from 1.5cm x 1.5cm to 7.5cm x 7.5cm, and may be configured with OAI’s I-V Test Systems.
Low Dose CPV to 50 Suns
OAI’s standard Class AAA Solar Simulators are fitted with optics that allow them to function both as a standard solar simulator (up to 1.2 Suns) and a low dose (up to 50 Suns) CPV Simulator. Available models are CPV LD15, CPV LD22 and CPV LD50 (as shown in the Product Specification Table). The low dose CPV Simulators are supplied with OAI’s Advanced Uniform Beam Optics, which include proprietary coated mirrors, filters, and a beam uniformity integrator. These optics are then coupled with special concentrating light-pipe attachment optics. Standard Low Dose CPV beam sizes range from 2.5cm x 2.5cm up to 4.5cm x 4.5cm. Choose from either a 1KW, 1.5KW, or 4.0KW lamp housing to achieve a wide range of concentrating solar light (as shown in the Product Specification Table). Additionally, OAI offers a highly collimated 6 Suns CPV Simulator with half angle <1°,(Model CPV LA) for cells measuring up to 156mm x156mm. All of the low dose CPV Simulators use an OAI TriSOL Standard Solar Simulator as the base to deliver highly accurate and collimated beams to the concentrating optics. These TriSOL Standard Simulators are certified to ASTM E927-05, IEC 60904-9 2007, and JIS C8912 Standards for Class AAA performance (Spectral Match 400 -1100nm wavelength in 100nm bandwidth increments, Non-Uniformity, and Temporal Instability). The Class A+ Spectral Match (<±12.5%) upgrade is also available using a specially designed filter.
High Dose CPV to 1500 Suns
The High Dose CPV Solar Simulators (Models CPV HD20, CPV HD500, CPV HD1500 & CPV HDLA300) are fully integrated, stand-alone, high concentration simulators. High Dose and small area CPV Simulators are available in three basic configurations: up to 20 Suns in a beam size of 7.5cm x 7.5cm, up to 500 Suns with a 2.54cm x 2.54cm beam size, and up to 1500 Suns with a 1.5cm x 1.5cm, beam size. OAI also manufactures a High Dose large area model (Model CPV HDLA300) simulator with 300 Suns intensity with a beam size of 60mm x 60mm. These High Dose CPV simulators are constructed with OAI’s integrated Advanced Uniform Beam Optics, which includes proprietary coated mirrors, attenuation filters, a beam uniformity integrator, and fully integrated special concentrating light-pipe optics. Choose from either a 4.0KW or 7.0KW lamp housing to achieve a wide range of concentrating solar light (as shown in the Product Specification Table). These systems come with an integrated, high-speed shutter that reduces over exposure and sample heating during the measurement. The software shutter control facilitates cell exposure from 5msec to >300msec duration. In comparison to a flash type system, OAI’s continuous high dose CPV simulators provide the capability for complete beam characterization. These CPV Standalone Simulators are certified to ASTM E927-05, IEC 60904-9 2007, and JIS C8912 Standards for Class AAA performance (Spectral Match 400 -1100nm wavelength in 100nm bandwidth increments, Non-Uniformity, and Temporal Instability). The Class A+ Spectral Match (<±12.5%) upgrade is available using a specially designed filter.High Dose CPV to 1500 Suns
OAI High dose CPV Solar Simulators are fully integrated stand -alone high concentration simulators and are available in three configurations: up to 20 suns in a beam size of 7.5cm x 7.5cm, up to 500 suns with a 2.54cm x 2.54cm beam size, and up to 1500 suns with a 1.5cm x 1.5cm beam size.
