Title :
Non-traditional light sources for solar cell and module testing
Author :
Bisaillon, J.C. ; Cummings, J.R. ; Culik, J.S. ; Lesko, J.D. ; Sims, P.E. ; Rand, J.A.
Author_Institution :
AstroPower Inc., Newark, DE, USA
Abstract :
Solar cell and module performance testing is a critical component of high volume manufacturing. Indoor testing of solar cells and modules has historically utilized filtered xenon arc lamps as a sunlight simulator. There are a number of problems with are lamps in this environment including high cost, extensive maintenance, area limitations and electrical noise. In this work the use of low-cost, reliable, quartz-tungsten-halide (QTH) lamps as an alternative light source is analyzed. This analysis is focused on evaluating spectral mismatch errors due to testing solar cells with varying spectral response. When combined with outdoor calibration standards, QTH lamps are found to introduce acceptable levels of error (<2%) for testing both single crystal and polycrystalline solar cells and modules
Keywords :
light sources; metal vapour lamps; semiconductor device manufacture; semiconductor device measurement; semiconductor device testing; solar cell arrays; solar cells; high volume manufacturing; indoor testing; nontraditional light sources; performance testing; quartz-tungsten-halide lamps; solar cell testing; solar module testing; spectral mismatch errors; spectral response; Calibration; Costs; Lamps; Light sources; Maintenance; Manufacturing; Photovoltaic cells; Testing; Working environment noise; Xenon;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2000. Conference Record of the Twenty-Eighth IEEE
Conference_Location :
Anchorage, AK
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5772-8
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.2000.916178
