DIN EN IEC 60904-9:2024-05

This document is applicable for solar simulators used in PV test and calibration laboratories and in manufacturing lines of solar cells and PV modules. The A+ category is primarily intended for calibration laboratories and is not considered necessary for power measurements in PV manufacturing and in qualification testing. Class A+ has been introduced because it allows for reduction in the uncertainty of secondary reference device calibration, which is usually performed in a calibration laboratory. Measurement uncertainty in PV production lines will directly benefit from a lower uncertainty of calibration, because production line measurements are performed using secondary reference devices. This part of IEC 60904 provides the definitions of and means for determining simulator classifications at the required irradiance levels used for electrical stabilization and characterisation of PV devices. In the case of PV performance measurements, using a solar simulator of a particular class does not eliminate the need to quantify the influence of the simulator on the measurement by making spectral mismatch corrections and analysing the influences of spatial non-uniformity of irradiance in the test plane and temporal stability of irradiance on that measurement. Test reports for PV devices tested with the simulator report the class of simulator used for the measurement and the method used to quantify the simulator's effect on the results. This document is referenced in other IEC standards that specify class requirements for the use of solar simulators. The characteristics of solar simulators described in this document shall not be used in isolation to imply any level of confidence in the measurement or any measurement uncertainty for the application of solar simulators (for example, performance measurement of PV modules). Measurement uncertainties depend on many factors in each application, several of which are outside the scope of this document: - characteristics of the solar simulator, possibly including characteristics not covered in this document; - procedures for calibrating and operating the solar simulator; - characteristics of the test specimen(s) (such as size and spectral sensitivity); - quantities measured on the test specimen(s), including equipment and procedures for measurement; - possible corrections applied to measured quantities. The standard differs from DIN EN 60904-9 (VDE 0126-4-9):2008-07 as follows: a) changed title; b) added spectral match classification in an extended wavelength range; c) introduction of new A+ class; d) definition of additional parameters for spectral irradiance evaluation; e) added apparatus sections for spectral irradiance measurement and spatial uniformity measurement; f) revised procedure for spectral match classification (minimum 4 measurement locations); g) revised measurement procedure for spatial uniformity of irradiance; h) added informative Annex for sensitivity analysis of spectral mismatch error related to solar simulator spectral irradiance. The purpose of this document is to define classifications of solar simulators for use in indoor measurements of terrestrial photovoltaic devices. Solar simulators are classified as A+, A, Bor C based on criteria of spectral distribution match, irradiance non-uniformity in the test plane and temporal instability of irradiance. This document provides the required methodologies for determining the classification of solar simulators in each of the categories. A solar simulator which does not meet the minimum requirements of class C cannot be classified according to this document.