Solar and Environmental Test Lab

This lab is a multifunctional facility used to test the electrical performance of energy harvesting materials.

Photovoltaic research in W1.08 involves all technology generations, from mature crystalline silicon to emerging multi-junction concentrator solar cells, and includes integration with thermoelectric materials for waste heat utilisation. The walk-in solar/environmental chamber provides highly uniform cell/module irradiance under constant temperature control critical to standardised research testing.

Equipment

Name	Make/Model	Details
PV test rig	LUCAS NULLE	This consists of a grid-connected inverter, charge controller and battery for energy storage, plus off-grid inverter. This unit can be used to obtain electrical characteristics of PV module and system-level experiments for standalone or grid-connected systems. In this setup PV energy generation can be demonstrated at various tilt angles, variable "sun" positions, graduated light/photon intensities and temperatures.
Solar & Environmental chamber	THERMOTRON	This is a large walk-in environmental chamber (563 cubic feet) which can be used for ambient sample temperature control between -67 to 85oC.Humidity can also be controlled between 20% to 95% RH. The solar simulator is a 6 kW gas discharge bulb which can deliver irradiance levels of 1000W/m2 (or more) with AM 1.5G spectrum. Extraterrestrial solar spectral radiation AM 0 is also possible with removal of lamp filters. A pyranometer is available for measurement of Global Horizontal Irradiance and pyrheliometer for measurement of Direct Normal Irradiance are available alongside T-type thermocouples and automated datalogging.