Solar Cell Tester

The Spi-Cell Tester™ tests the electrical performance of photovoltaic cells under simulated sunlight. A xenon arc lamp with an optical filter provides a close match to the Air Mass 1.5 Global solar spectrum.The simulator spectrum meets the highest International and ASTM specifications (ASTM E927 Class A).

The Spi-Cell Tester measures current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of cells with dimensions up to 210 mm x 210 mm. Its high resolution also permits testing of very small area devices. Separate current and voltage probes on the top and bottom of the cell provide four-point I-V measurements. A calibrated reference cell is located on the test plane to monitor the light intensity.

A computer with user-friendly software adjusts the lamp intensity, controls the measurement process, and acquires cell performance data. A programmable electronic load varies the resistance across the cell to measure its I-V characteristics.The computer plots the I-V curve and displays a variety of cell characteristics. Curves and data can be printed and stored on disk.

Features & Benefits

• Measures and displays the following cell parameters:
  • Complete I-V curve
  • Open circuit voltage, Voc
  • Short-circuit current, Isc
  • Short-circuit current density, Jsc
  • Peak power, Pmp
  • Cell efficiency, η
  • Fill factor, FF
  • Series resistance, Rs
  • Shunt resistance, Rsh
  • Cell temperature, °C
• Illumination uniformity within ±2%
• Xenon light source, filtered to Class A spectrum, with intensity from 70 to 110 mW/cm²
• Calibrated reference cell, traceable to NREL standard
• Four-point probe for accurate measurements
• Temperature controlled vacuum chuck
• Computer system and software package for operation, measurements, data analysis, printed output, and disk storage

Options

• Filtered calibrated reference cell for testing amorphous silicon devices
• Laser printer with software
• Bins for manually sorting cells
• Software for Dark I-V measurement

Certifications

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Spire in partnership with Nisshinbo, offers this product worldwide.