Oriel Instruments, a Newport company, introduces its latest innovation in solar simulators: the VeraSol light-emitting diode (LED) solar simulator. Compared to conventional solar simulators with Xenon sources, the LED-based VeraSol provides spectral control, a long lifetime and reduced operating costs. The system is specifically designed to meet the requirements of the photovoltaic (PV) research market and provides a variable output from 0 to 1.1 Suns over a 2-inch × 2-inch illumination area at a working distance of 10 inches.
To match the continuous spectrum of the sun, VeraSol uses 18 different coloured LEDs that are each independently driven. The independent control of each LED allows the user to test PV cells under different lighting conditions. The adjustment can be done at the front panel for the entire spectrum or for individual bands. Individual LEDs can also be adjusted via computer using the Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. Spectral matches can be saved as preset values for future use.
The LSS-720 is certified AAA-rated to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 609004-9 for spectral match, non-uniformity of irradiance and temporal stability. A patent-pending grating-based design is used to combine the individual wavelength LEDs into a uniform light beam. This optical design ensures a homogenised beam at every wavelength.
With a typical lifetime of more than 10,000 hours, LEDs remove the need to change expensive and hazardous bulbs. In addition, the LEDs come up to stable operating power within just 100 milliseconds (ms). This allows the unit to be shut off between tests without having to wait for the lamp to stabilise.
The use of solid-state LEDs and robust optical mounting hardware makes it possible to orient the light source head in any position. To aid in positioning the light source, a variable height adjustment mount is included along with a laser pointer indicator to ensure that the test cell is always correctly placed under the head.
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