Cost-effective and Smart AAA-Class RGB-LED-based Sun Simulator for Real-Time Characterization of Solar Cells

Abstract

To characterize the solar cell parameters, the light emitting diode (LED)-based sun simulators have been developed using different types of LEDs and geometrical configurations in the various wavelength range. However, the optimal spectral match, spatial homogeneity, and temporal stability have not been attained in these systems. Moreover, their design is very complex, heavy, expensive, energy and time-consuming, and needs a professional operator. Here, we have introduced a cost-effective and smart RGB LED-based sun simulator that is controlled by an ARM microprocessor, which is adjustable using user-friendly windows software. The LED panel cover 22 peak wavelength in the range of 245–940 nm at 0.2 sun intensity compared with AM1.5G global solar spectrum sunlight containing 4 UV LED (245 nm), 56 RGB LED with a 10 mm center-to-center distance from each other (14 different peaks with 22nm intervals in the range of 380-680nm), five IR LEDs with different wavelengths, including 730, 740, 810, 850, and 940 nm in the area of 10×15 cm2. According to the IEC60904-9 and ASTM standards, we achieved the AAA-class performance in all three categories including spectral match, spatial homogeneity, and temporal instability for test planes 4×4 cm2 and 8 ×8 cm2 at a distance of 4 cm from the LED panel. We successfully measured the I-V parameter of the standard solar cell 3×3 cm in the real-time condition. This system is ultra-low cost, simple, user-friendly, and can be built and used in any research lab characterizing and monitoring solar cell parameters in real-time conditions.