New optical layouts for a solar simulator to allow cell tests

Possible modifications for a solar simulator Yamashita YSS-200 were studied and experimented with the aim of allowing the test of concentration photovoltaic cells (CPV cells). Three different solutions were simulated and compared, using Zemax and TracePro, finally selecting the most suitable one. The modification consisted in a supplementary optical system that was externally added to the existing layout. The auxiliary system was easily demountable, thus allowing a rapid restoring of the original configuration. The selected optical system was realised and suitable optical tests verified that it satisfied the requirements on irradiance level and irradiance uniformity. Spectral measurements confirmed that the employed materials did not significantly modify the spectral distribution of the light emitted by the solar simulator.