Solid-State Solar Simulator

Abstract

This paper presents an efficient, low-cost, and versatile LED-based solar simulator intended to produce a well-characterized spectrum for tests of solar cells and other photosensitive devices. Three major design aspects are addressed: LED spectra, power converters for LED drive, and control. The visible light of a standard solar spectrum is simulated using six LED colors. The number of LEDs and their placement for uniformity are addressed. Boost converters under current-mode control are used to achieve reproducible LED brightness through adjustable currents, or equivalent radiant-flux commands. The independent control of the six colors can simulate a range of different light sources and solar spectra. Uniformity tests verify that the system achieves standard spectral uniformity requirements over an area of 100 mm × 100 mm in simulations and 100 mm × 50 mm in experiments. LEDs in the proposed simulator consume less power and reduce the simulator size compared to the available state of the art. The user-friendly interface also allows active control of the simulated spectrum.