Solar cell calibration and measurement techniques

The increasing complexity of space power solar cells and the increasing international markets for both cells and arrays has resulted in workshops jointly sponsored by NASDA, ESA and NASA. These workshops are designed to obtain international agreement on standardized values for the AM0 spectrum and constant, recommend laboratory measurement practices and establish a set of protocols for international comparison of laboratory measurements. A working draft of an ISO standard, WD15387, “Requirements for Measurement and Calibration Procedures for Space Solar Cells” was discussed with a focus on the scope of the document, a definition of primary standard cell, and required error analysis for all measurement techniques. Working groups addressed the issues of Air Mass Zero (AM0) solar constant and spectrum, laboratory measurement techniques, and the international round robin methodology. A summary is presented of the current state of each area and the formulation of the ISO document