testing a pv module on a flash solar simualator

Maximum Power determination for PV module manufacturers

Getting it right every time

PV module manufacturers are facing challenges

Manufacturers want to squeeze every watt out of a module. Repeatable measurements of the true Pmax are critical to make this happen. New technologies require solar simulators with high accuracy to fully yield the energy potential of a module.
  • The price pressure limits the maximum allowable OPEX and CAPEX
  • Fast process adaption is required for new PV module technologies
  • Need for control of the entire measurement system (calibration module, procedures, training, environment, simulator, samples)
  • When high reproducibility is not achieved there is no data correlation between production lines and plants
  • Low repeatability can result in discussions with EPC on module data
  • If measurement uncertainty is high, can cause 2% loss of value down the value chain
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Eternalsun Spire manufacturing solar simulators enable high accuracy and low cost of ownership

Evolution of Spire flash solar simulators

Spire tower solar simulator
Table top flash solar simulator
flash solar simulator
flash solar simulator
  • 1982

    • The worldwide PV module production exceeds 21 MW. Spire develops a tower flasher (SPI-SUN 240) to test c-Si modules
  • 1995

    • Spire moves to tabletop solar simulators for better uniformity and usability (SPI-SUN 460i). The worldwide PV production reaches 1 GW and the market is dominated by c-Si modules.
  • 2015

    • Annual PV module production exceeds 60GW, high efficiency technologies like PERC gain market share, and bifacial, half-cut, shingled cells are introduced. Spire flashers are developed to test these technologies (5100SLP).
  • 2020

    • PERC/PERT/Topcon cells are dominant and PV manufacturers move to larger wafers. Spire flashers are upgraded to test larger modules up to 2.6 m x 1.4 m.
Today

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Eternalsun Spire is a leading manufacturer of solar simulators for measuring the performance and reliability of PV modules.

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