SOLAR RADIATION SIMULATION DEVICE FOR INVESTIGATION OF THERMAL AND PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS

The paper presents the design and execution of a solar radiation simulation device, which ensures the adequate operation of thermal and photovoltaic panels by using light sources which have a spectrum close to the one produced by sun at minimum investment costs. The equipment is used for the experimental tracking of the behaviour of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal panels for both short and longer time intervals. The solar radiation simulation device has been developed to provide the radiation necessary for the evaluation of the efficiency and the heating of the solar panels exposed to sun. A system consisting of six OSRAM Ultravitalux 300W high-pressure lamps has been adopted, offering an optimized solution, both qualitatively and economically. The main steps achieved during its execution were: design, pre-dimensioning, verification, final dimensioning, execution and testing. According to the final tests, it was concluded that the proposed device can provide the quantitative and qualitative parameters required for solar radiation simulation in case of laboratory tests.