Next-generation light sources for solar simulators

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Photovoltaic (PV) cell research and manufacturing are rapidly evolving in Ontario. Emerging technologies such as multi-junction cells, organic thin films, and dye-sensitized solar cells all require careful evaluation of their performance. When assessing the performance and verifying the output of solar panels and PV devices, a solar simulator is a requisite piece of equipment. The solar simulator uses a single arc lamp to produce light that has a spectral match, uniformity of irradiance, and temporal stability equivalent to sunlight at high noon on the summer solstice. These traditional lamps can be attenuated to produce outputs from 0.2 - 1.0 suns with the simple turn of a knob. Limitations with these light sources may include: a) short lifetimes (~200 hrs), b) inability to tune spectral output, and c) high power demands and warm-up times necessary to match the solar spectrum.