Fig. 1 Oriel Sol1A Spectral Match with AM 1.5G spectral correction filter meets IEC, JIS, ASTM Class A requirements to for spectral match.Complete line of Class ABB products from 2x2 to 8x8 output beam sizes
Factory certified CW systems per IEC 60904-9 2007 Edition, JIS C 8912, and ASTM E 927-05
Long-lived, highly reliable instruments designed specifically for laboratory and/or production environments
Temperature sensors and interlocks ensure operator safety
Convenient user features simplify operation
With over 40 years of proven performance and rugged durability built into our solar simulator product family, Newport Corporation’s Oriel® Sol1A™ Class ABB systems take solar simulation to the next level. Certified to IEC 60904-9 2007 Edition, JIS C 8912, and ASTM E 927-05 standards, these large area SOL 1A sources use a xenon lamp and proprietary filter to meet, efficiently and reliably, Class ABB performance parameters without compromising the 1 sun output power. The result is a cost-effective system designed for laboratory or production environments – all backed by our global service and support network.
If your application doesn\'t require the highest level of uniformity of illumination, a Class ABB system may work for you. Class ABB systems still provide the highest spectral match performance (ClassA) as defined by the most recent standards from the IEC, JIS and ASTM. Although the uniformity is Class B (based on the IEC testing protocols), these Class ABB systems may have better uniformity than competitive simulators that claim Class A uniformity to only the current ASTM standard, or are measuring it according to the older IEC, JIS and ASTM standards. The Class ABB systems provide a cost effective option that provides you durable Oriel Solar simulator, the name you have trusted for 40years as a quality supplier backing their products utilizing the worldwide Newport network of resources. An optional light intensity controller can be purchased to bring stability to Class A if it becomes necessary in the future.
PV standards from the IEC, JIS and ASTM define the requirements and test methodolgy to measure and report the performance of a solar simulator. All Oriel Sol1A Class ABB solar simulators are tested following these protocols exactly and ship with a certificate of compliance including the methodology used.
IEC 60904-9 2007 Edition Photovoltaic Devices – Part 9: Solar Simulator Performance Requirements
JIS C 8912-1998, Solar Simulators for Crystalline Solar Cells and Modules
ASTM E 927-05 (2005) Specification for Solar Simulation for Terrestrial PV Testing
| Performance Parameter | Organization | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| IEC | JIS | ASTM | |
| Spectral Match (fraction of ideal percentage) | 0.75 – 1.25 | 0.7 – 1.25 | 0.7 – 1.25 |
| Non-uniformity of irradiance | <5% | ±3% | <5% |
| Temporal Instability |
<2% (STI) <5% (LTI) | ±3% | <5% |
The standards define the spectral match of a solar simulator as a percentage of the integrated intensity in 6 spectral ranges (listed in Table 2). Any deviation from the specified percentages must then lie within a range that determines the class of the simulator. For Class ABB, this range is 0.75 to 1.25 times the ideal percentage.
To ensure that the Oriel So1A Class ABB Solar Simulator falls easily and reliably within this range, Oriel designed a proprietary, highly stable spectral correction filter. The proprietary filter can withstand the very high intensity from the lamp without changing spectral properties. The result is the spectral output shown in Figure 1b.
The filter was also designed to maintain Class ABB performance over the full life of the lamp; see Fig. 4.
| Spectral Match | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectral Range (nm) | 400 – 500 | 500 – 600 | 600 – 700 | 700 – 800 | 800 – 900 | 900 – 1100 |
| Ideal % | 18.5 | 20.1 | 18.3 | 14.8 | 12.2 | 16.1 |
Fig. 1 Oriel Sol1A Spectral Match with AM 1.5G spectral correction filter meets IEC, JIS, ASTM Class A requirements to for spectral match.
The irradiance uniformity over the work area is the most difficult requirement to achieve and maintain. Hot spots can lead to significant errors in measured cell efficiency and can cause inaccurate binning of cells. The Class ABB spatial uniformity performance standard is designed to minimize the impact of hot spots and meets the Class B requirements for the standards.
Fig. 3 Measured Uniformity of a 2x2” Oriel Class ABB Solar Simulator.
Temporal stability is the third performance parameter of Class ABB standards. It requires that the output light be stable over time in order to ensure that the lamp fluctuations do not distort the measurements of solar cell efficiency. The Sol1A Class ABB meets Class B stability standards for all three standards without the need for a feedback based controller, but can be upgraded with our optional Light Intensity Control system to substantially reduces lamp output fluctuation to values that are significantly better than the Class B standard.
Fig. 3 Typical Output Variation of a 1.6 kW Oriel Sol1A Solar Simulator Over Time.
The Sol1A housing provides a safe enclosure for the lamp. It is equipped with safety interlock systems to ensure operator and system safety. An integral fan(s) and filter blower provides forced air-cooling to maintain optimal lamp, optics and housing temperature.
Integrated Shutter
The Oriel Sol1A Class ABB Solar Simulator includes a shutter that is a rugged, single-blade shutter design specified for 1 million cycles. Real-world performance has exceeded 10 million cycles. The shutter has a minimum exposure time of 200 ms and can be controlled via a contact closure or logic level input, or a convenient push-button switch on the illuminator housing.
The Oriel Sol1A Class ABB Solar Simulator source is a CW system. This enables testing of all cell materials unlike flashlamp-based systems that are limited by the response time of the material. Regardless of model chosen, the lamp is an ozone-free xenon short arc lamp. Your system is certified with the lamp which is shipped with the unit to insure meeting the performance stated. For continuous production environments, we recommend purchasing replacement lamps when the source is purchased, and certifying each lamp. This will ensure Class A spectral match certification as lamps are replaced.
The combination of lamp and air mass filter produces the characteristic Class A spectra. Our 1.5G Air Mass Filter retains its optical properties through the life of the lamp. Replacement filters are sold separately.
The highly regulated power supply provides constant electrical power to the Xenon lamp. Lamp usage can be monitored in accumulated hours from the power supply. It is important to replace the lamp at the end of its rated life to maintain the minimum 1 sun output with appropriate spectral match. The lamp’s output and spectral match can not be assured with continued use beyond the specified lifetime (@1000 hours).
Oriel Sol1A Class ABB Solar Simulators maintain Class ABB standards during the specified lifetime of the lamp. When the lamp is replaced, the instrument may fall outside of Class ABB performance. Spatial uniformity is the most difficult requirement to meet and maintain. In order to facilitate the measurements and adjustments necessary to maintain spatial uniformity, Oriel has developed a uniformity measurement tool (Sol-UMT) to allow rapid measurement and determination of performance. The use of these tools allows you to maintain the Oriel Sol1A Class ABB Solar Simulator within stated performance specifications. * Please contact a Sales Engineer for details.
Contact a Sales Engineer for pricing of optional accessories.