IOI Solar has partnered with companies that are developing alternative and clean-energy technologies to help protect and sustain the environment while addressing the world’s growing energy demands.
IOI solar simulators allow researchers and manufacturers to evaluate solar cells and modules under controlled and repeatable conditions that mimic sunlight. This includes testing according to international standards (e.g. IEC 60904), quality control during manufacturing, and accelerated aging and reliability studies through prolonged or pulsed illumination.
IOI LED solar simulators are vital tools in the development of new PV materials (e.g. perovskites, tandem and multi-junction cells) and in testing bifacial configurations (illuminating both sides of the solar cell) as well as in IV flash testing on production lines. Spectrally adjustable LED solar simulators are particularly useful for optimizing sub-cells individually since each sub-cell absorbs a different spectral band. In addition, solar simulators support evaluation over large areas where uniformity sensitivity is critical. Cells can also be characterized for durability with temperature cycling and light soaking (UV degradation and thermal stress).
Solar simulators play a critical role in a broad range of materials research and industrial applications.
Their ability to deliver highly controlled, repeatable, and spectrally accurate light enables the study of photodegradation, material weathering, and product qualification. With multiple suns of optical output, testing of polymers, coatings, and plastics can be accelerated into days or weeks instead of years. An LED solar simulator can emit specific wavelength bands to target UV degradation, yellowing, cracking, or loss of mechanical strength. Such testing would be important for building materials, automotive exteriors, outdoor electronics, and aerospace components.
Textiles, paints, dyes, and inks can be evaluated for color stability while exposed to sunlight. In addition, pharmaceuticals can be subject to light-induced degradation and so packaging material studies are important for preserving drug efficacy (e.g. UV blocking). Simulating AM0 or other custom spectra allows testing for material stability outside the Earth’s atmosphere where, for example, UVC is highly relevant.
Solar simulators are increasingly used to examine next-generation products that rely on, interact with, or are exposed to sunlight. Smart glass, plants and agriculture systems, wearables, machine vision sensors, and solar-powered accessories also benefit from controlled, reproducible testing via solar simulation to evaluate performance, durability, and user safety. For example, exposing fruit plants to variable red to blue light ratios has been found to influence their growth, nutrient density, and sweetness.
Using reliable, tunable LED solar simulators in photochemistry and biology is a growing field that leverages precise, tunable, and repeatable light exposure to examine light-driven chemical and biological processes. Researchers can mimic natural sunlight or tailor it while inside under controllable conditions. Solar simulators aid in the study of photocatalysis, specifically using light energy to drive chemical reactions that break down pollutants, disinfect water or wounds, purify air, and clean or sanitize surfaces.
The spectrum of LED solar simulators can be easily adjusted for a myriad of applications in biology including vitamin D synthesis research, UV sterilization, ocular safety (lens testing), photodynamic therapy (activate reactive oxygen species to kill cancer cells), and photothermal therapy (destroy tumors with heat). In addition, the phototoxicity risk of skin creams with Titanium Oxide or Zinc Oxide can be assessed, as well as exposure to UV.
The performance of photoinitiators used in 3D printing, photolithography, and dental and industrial adhesives can be evaluated. Also, photo-induced structural changes in molecules and reaction kinetics can be studied with solar simulators that deliver stable, precise spectral profiles and dosages.
In short, IOI LED solar simulators allow researchers to fully control spectrum, intensity, and test duration which enables highly accurate, reproducible experiments across a wide range of applications.
