Since 1985, Sciencetech has designed, manufactured and marketed several lines of highly collimated CW solar simulator for the purpose of photovoltaic cell testing. These line of Models SSxxKW-Xe-Fr can illuminate a 22.5cm (9") diameter target size. It uses a Fresnel lens to collimate the light beam from the arc lamp source to infinity, which results in highly collimated illumination of the target spot.
A 1.6kW xenon ozone free lamp is used as the light source. The spectral distribution of the xenon light source, along with the use of specially calibrated Air Mass filters, closely simulates the sun’s true spectral distribution in various conditions on Earth. For solar cell testing, the AM1.5D filter is recommended to simulate terrestrial conditions and the AM0 filter is recommended to simulate conditions in Space.
The output power of the highly collimated solar simulator, with an AM1.5D filter is approximately 1 SUN onto a 22.5cm (9") diameter spot at the exit window plane, for the 1.6 kW version.
The solar simulator provides a broadband spectral range of 250-2500 nm without filters.
 
Light Source
Sciencetech's Highly Collimated Solar Simulator utilizes a xenon, ozone-free arc lamp as its light source. It is air cooled with electric blowers and has adjustment pins to align the focal point of the lamp. The arc lamp is powered through an external adjustable DC power supply. The power supply has a manually operated controller with LCD (1.6kW version) or LED (2.5kW version) display for current and power adjustments. It can be overpowered by 20%. Although this would results in a higher intensity output, it also shortens the lamp's service life.
 
152mm (6") Diameter Air Mass Solar Filters
These filters can be inserted into an air cooled filter holder inside the lamp housing through an access panel in order to simulate various light conditions on Earth and in Space.