Solar Cell Testing Kit
All Measurement Equipment, Lab Equipment, Price Reductions and Sales, Solar Simulators
A complete system to perform solar cell characterisation
Solar cell I-V test system and solar simulator, available at a discounted price
Overview | Specifications | Gallery | Software | In the Box | Accessories | Resources and Support
The Ossila Solar Cell Testing Kit includes both a source measure unit and an LED-based solar simulator. It is an all-in-one solution for the rapid characterisation of solar cells fabricated with our popular fabrication platform. Using the included Solar Cell I-V measurement software, you can obtain device performance metrics in just a few clicks.
The kit comes with either the manual I-V test system or automated I-V test system and is compatible with our 20 mm x 15 mm and 25 mm x 25 mm substrate designs.
The manual system comes with the solar simulator head, adjustable z-stage and optical breadboard, our dual-output source measure unit (Solar Cell I-V software included) and electrical test board, and all the required connection and power cables. This system offers maximum flexibility as it allows you to use the source measure unit and solar simulator independently as well as together.
The automated system is assembled with the solar simulator head mounted directly to our automated solar cell I-V test system. This system provides the quickest and easiest way to characterise your devices thanks to the software-controlled automatic switching of pixels under test in each device.
Compact
Designed for space-constrained environments
LED Lamp
High efficiency, Long operating lifetime
Zero Maintenance
No high maintenance fee
Solar Simulator Specification
| Type | LED-Based, Steady-State |
| Spectral Deviation | <70% |
| Spectral Coverage | >80% |
| Working Distance (cm) | 8.5 cm |
| Irradiance (at Working Distance) | 1000 W/m2 |
| Maximum Lamp Time | 10000 hours |
| Dimensions (Head Only), L x W x H | 10.5 cm x 9.0 cm x 8.0 cm |
| Weight | 600 g |
| Spectral Match | A |
| Spatial Uniformity over 15 mm Diameter Area | A |
| Spatial Uniformity over 25 mm Diameter Area | B |
| Spatial Uniformity over 32 mm Diameter Area | C |
| Temporal instability | A |
Please see the Solar Simulator product page for full specifications.
Solar Cell I-V Test System Specification
Voltage source specifications
| Range | Accuracy | Precision | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| ± 10 V | 10 mV | 333 µV | 170 µV |
Voltage measure specifications
| Range | Accuracy | Precision | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| ± 10V | 10 mV | 50 µV | 10 µV |
Current measure specifications
| Range | Accuracy | Precision | Resolution | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ± 200 mA | ± 500 µA | 10 µA | 1 µA | <20 mV |
| ± 20 mA | ± 10 µA | 1 µA | 100 nA | <20 mV |
| ± 2 mA | ± 1 µA | 100 nA | 10 nA | <20 mV |
| ± 200 µA | ± 100 nA | 10 nA | 1 nA | <20 mV |
| ± 20 µA | ± 10 nA | 1 nA | 0.1nA | <20 mV |
Equipment Specifications
| Substrate Size | 20 mm x 15 mm 25 mm x 25 mm 75 mm x 25 mm |
|---|---|
| Substrate Compatibility | T2002B, T2003B – S211 T2002E, T2003E – S2006 T2002F, T2003F - S241, S251 |
| Overall Dimensions (W x H x D) - Automated | 150 mm x 55 mm x 300 mm (5.91" x 2.17" x 11.81") |
| Overall Dimensions (W x H x D) - Manual |
Source Measure Unit: 125 mm x 55 mm x 185 mm (4.92" x 2.17" x 7.28") Test Board (T2002B/T2002E): 105 mm x 40 mm x 125 mm (4.13" x 1.57" x 4.92") Test Board (T2002F): 100 mm x 40 mm x 150 mm (3.94" x 1.57" x 5.91") |
Solar Cell Testing Kit Features
Integrated system
Everything needed for photovoltaic characterisation in a complete package, designed to run together seamlessly. This simplifies set up and operation and reduces costs.
Complete Control
The fully programmable SMU (manual system only) and controllable power levels of the solar simulator make for unlimited experimental options. Use our easy-to-use software for rapid results or take control and design your own experiments.
Multiple Measurement Modes
Perform I-V sweeps to find key device performance metrics, run lifetime measurements for degradation studies or use as a soaking system to precondition cells. Our Solar Cell I-V software gives you the choice.
Compact
We have designed both our Solar Cell I-V Test System and Solar Simulator to be as compact as possible, making them suitable for use in the most space-constrained environments.
Unbeatable Value
The Ossila Solar Cell Testing Kit offers unbeatable value. Available for less than the two systems can be bought for separately, and less than many other comparable options on the market. Order yours today.
Why use an integrated I-V test system and solar simulator
Solar cell characterisation involves performing electrical measurements on an illuminated device. To make measurements comparable, the illumination should be standardised. This requires the use of a solar simulator. We have designed the I-V test system and solar simulator to work seamlessly together and tested their performance against other solutions. With our solar cell testing kit, you can be confident that reliable device metrics are only a few clicks away.
Solar Cell Testing Kit Gallery
Software
Solar Cell I-V Test System Software
The current-voltage measurement is controlled using intuitive and user-friendly PC software. All of the measurements can be fully customised, allowing you to tailor the software to your experiment.
With the PC software, you can:
- Perform current-voltage measurements anywhere between -10 V and 10 V.
- Take high resolution measurements, with voltage increments as low as 170 µV.
- Manage the experiment more directly, with custom settle times between applying voltage and measuring current.
- Measure device hysteresis by perform consecutive measurements in forwards and backward directions.
The software has 3 measurement tabs: Solar Cell Characterization, Stabilised Current Output, and Solar Lifetime Measurement. 'Characterization' performs I-V measurements and calculates the important device properties, the 'Stabilised Current' tab allows you to determine how the current output of your device evolves over time using, and the 'Lifetime' tab enables you to track key device properties (PCE, FF, Jsc, Voc) over an extended time by performing periodic I-V characterization. Between measurements the solar cell can be held at open-circuit, short-circuit, or maximum power.
Data is saved to .csv (comma-separated values) files, which are formatted to be easy to read and analyse. Settings are saved along with the data, making it easier to keep a record of the parameters used for each experiment. These settings files can be loaded by the program, and settings profiles can be saved for each different measurement type, allowing you to easily perform repeat measurements or use particular configurations.
Key Software Features
- Simple and intuitively-designed interface
- Data saved to .csv file
- Calculates solar cell properties (PCE, FF, Jsc, Voc, Pmax, Rsh, Rs)
- Track properties over time
- Measure the stabilised current output of a solar cell
- Save and load settings profiles
Software Requirements
| Operating System | Windows 10 (32-bit or 64-bit) |
|---|---|
| CPU | Dual Core 2 GHz |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Available Hard Drive Space | 192 MB |
| Monitor Resolution | 1680 x 1050 |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, or Ethernet (requires DHCP) |
Solar Simulator Software
The Ossila Solar Simulator Console enables you to control and customize the output of the Ossila Solar Simulator. You can choose the overall power level or control each LED in the Solar Simulator individually to tailor the output to your specific requirements.
Intuitively-designed user interface
The software is designed to be simple and easy-to-use, no hidden menus or settings
Customize your light
Choose a predefined total output power or change each LED individually
No programming required
Just connect a Solar Simulator and start the software, no programming knowledge needed
Completely free
Install the software on as many PCs as you want and download future updates for free
Included with the Ossila Solar Cell Testing Kit
Included with the Automated Solar Cell Testing Kit
The solar cell testing kit gives you everything you need to start testing solar cells immediately at incredible value. The Solar Cell I-V test system and the solar simulator lamp are already positioned into a fully integrated system, so you can start testing your solar cells immediately with no need for any additional calibration.
The automated I-V testing unit can be controlled easily using our free Solar Cell I-V software, allowing you to start measuring solar cell performance within minutes.
- LED Solar Simulator Lamp
- Automated Solar Cell IV Test System
- Fixed Bracket for integratiing system
- Solar Simulator console software
- Solar Cell I-V Test System Software
The Automated Solar Cell Testing Kit can be compatible with
- 20 mm x 15 mm standard substrates (Choose “Automated – S211")
- 25 mm x 25 mm large substrates (Choose “Automated S2006”)
Included with the Manual Testing Kit
The solar cell testing kit will set you up with a versatile PV characterization set-up which can be easily integrated and adapted for your lab environment.
You can use each component of this kit separately, to get maximum use out of each element. Whenever needed, they can be simply and easily integrated together. Once set up, it can be used as easily as the automated kit.
You can easily test devices made on multiple different substrates by varying the test board.
- LED Solar Simulator Lamp
- Push Fit Test Board
- Source Measure Unit (Manual IV Test system)
- Solar Simulator console software
- Solar Cell I-V Test System Software
The Automated Solar Cell Testing Kit can be compatible with
- 20 mm x 15 mm standard substrates (Choose “Automated – S211")
- 25 mm x 25 mm large substrates (Choose “Automated S2006”)
Accessories and Related Products
Resources and Support
Analyzing and Improving Low Device Metrics: FF, VOC and JSC
Anaylzing key device metrics such as fill factor (FF), open-circuit voltage (VOC), and power conversion efficiency (PCE), can help you find potential issues with your solar cell devices
Read more...
The Solar Spectrum
The purpose of a solar simulator is to recreate the sunlight received on Earth. This is easier said than done as sunlight starts its journey in complex nuclear reactions in the sun's core, and is modified on it's journey to us through interactions with the Earth's atmosphere.
Read more...