Compare Model Drawings, CAD & Specs Availability Price
Solar Simulator, Manual Shutter Only, LCS-100
Solar Simulator, Manual and Electronic Safety Shutter, LCS-100

Features

Class A Spectral Match

Spectral match is indicated by the first letter in the solar simulators class rating. An ideal spectral match for a solar simulator is based on the percentage of the integrated light intensity in 6 spectral ranges. A solar simulator with a Class A spectral match may not deviate more than 0.75 to 1.25 times the ideal percentage in each spectral range. Spectral match for all Oriel® solar simulator models installed with the AM 1.5G spectral correction filter is shown to easily meet IEC and ASTM Class A requirements. For more information about these solar simulator standards, please see our "Solar Simulator Standards — Definitions & Comparisons" technical note.

Class B Spatial Uniformity of Irradiance

The irradiance uniformity over the working area is indicated by the second letter in a solar simulator class rating, and 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 B spatial uniformity performance standard is designed to minimize the impact of hot spots and meets the Class B requirements for the standards. The plot shows the uniformity of the irradiance across a typical 2 x 2 inch simulator working area. For more information about these solar simulator standards, please see our "Solar Simulator Standards — Definitions & Comparisons" technical note.

Class B Temporal Stability

Temporal stability is the third performance parameter of solar simulators. 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 Class ABB Small Area Solar Simulators easily meet Class B stability standards for all three standards without the need for a feedback based controller. For more information about these solar simulator standards, please see our "Solar Simulator Standards — Definitions & Comparisons" technical note.

Simplicity and Economy

Simplicity and economy were the design criteria for these Solar Simulators. The electronics are built into the lamp housing and are factory pre-set to run the lamp at the proper current and voltage – just power the system and ignite the lamp! There are no high voltage cables to connect, no power supply settings to optimize, and no optical alignments required. They operate a 100 W Xe lamp with integrated reflector. Replacement lamp assemblies simply drop in place with no lamp adjustment required.

AM1.5G Standard Filter

The LCS-100 models come standard with an AM1.5G filter to meet the Class A Spectral Match specifications. An optional AM0 or AM Direct filter is available. Contact Newport Sales for additional information.

Spectral output of LCS-100 Solar Simulator with standard AM1.5G filter.

Adjusting the Output Irradiance

The LCS-100 series simulators have been factory certified to generate 1 SUN irradiance with an AM1.5G filter. The recommended way to increase or decrease the output intensity is to vary the distance between the sample and the simulator, which can easily be done by adjusting the simulator's position on the included optical rod assembly. Note, Class ABB is certified only at the specified working distance.

Manual or Electronic Shutter

We offer two models of LCS-100 Systems; both include a simple manual slide shutter to close off the beam for safety reasons. We also offer a model with an electronic shutter for external trigger applications. The shutter drive has an open/close switch and a TTL input. The rise/fall time of the shutter blade is ~0.l second, but there is a delay before the blade starts to close the shutter.

Optional Reference Cell

A calibrated reference cell is an integral part of solar simulator calibration and solar cell I-V characterization. The Oriel model 91150V consists of a readout meter and a 2 x 2 cm calibrated solar cell made of monocrystalline silicon. The cell is also equipped with a thermocouple assembled in accordance with IEC 60904-2. The certification is accredited by NIST to the ISO-17025 standard and is traceable both to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and to the International System of Units (SI). It reads solar simulator irradiance in "SUN" units; where one SUN is equal to 1000 W/m2 at 25 °C and AM 1.5G. The meter includes two connectors for analog outputs for the sun irradiance and the temperature.
We also offer reference cells with KG5 windows in place of the quartz window.

Mounting the LCS-100

Both models of the LCS-100 include an optical rod assembly for vertical translation of the instrument. These rod assemblies can be hard mounted to either an inch or metric optical table, breadboard or baseplate. Four mounting feet are included for customers who wish to remove the rod assembly and "sit" the simulator on a surface. For those customers who do not have the option of hard mounting the simulator to an optical surface, we recommend ordering the SA2-12 or M-SA2-12 (metric) baseplate; these baseplates are 12 x 24 inch (304 x 610 mm). The SA2-12 has 1/4 - 20 holes on 1 inch centers; the M-SA2-12 has M6 holes on 25 mm centers.

PhotoVoltaic Calibration Lab

We are proud to house and manage one of the few commercial photovoltaic and calibration test laboratories in the world. The Photovoltaic Calibration and Test Laboratory is accredited by A2LA to the ISO/IEC 17025 Standard, using state of the art equipment for measurements in accordance with ASTM E948 and E1021. The lab welcomes requests for prototype PV device performance measurements or PV reference cell calibrations. Flexible scheduling and rapid turnaround time ensure minimal downtime to time sensitive devices.

Characterizing I-V Curves of PhotoVoltaic Cells

We offer test solutions to measure current-voltage (IV) characteristics of PV cells. Models are available in 1, 3, 5, or 10 amps configurations, determined by the current generated by the device under test. Solutions include the source meter, cabling, and IV Test Station software to capture data quickly and easily. Additional mounting, probing, and temperature control accessories are available. Oriel IV test solutions are designed to work with any Oriel solar simulator.