Introduction

Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar energy technologies include solar heating, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal electricity, solar architecture and artificial photosynthesis, which can make considerable contributions to solving some of the most urgent energy problems the world now faces.

            The objective of a photovoltaic-thermoelectric (PV-TE) Solar Simulator is to provide a controllable indoor test facility under laboratory conditions, used for the testing of solar cells by using LabVIEW software. Hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar systems can simultaneously provide electricity and heat, achieving a higher conversion rate of the absorbed solar radiation than standard PV modules. When properly designed, PV/T systems can extract heat from PV modules, heating water or air to reduce the operating temperature of the PV modules and keep the electrical efficiency at a sufficient level. PV/T solar systems are a recently emerging solar technology that allows for the simultaneous conversion of solar energy into both electricity and heat. This type of technology present some interesting advantages over the conventional “side-by-side” thermal and PV solar systems, such as higher combined electrical/thermal energy outputs per unit area, and a more uniform and aesthetical pleasant roof area. Despite the fact that early research on PV/T systems can be traced back to the seventies, only recently it has gained a renewed impetus.

            In this project, the PV-TE will be used on the solar simulator. This project will help in testing the performance of the PV-TE in indoor test facilities and without the need to use the real sunlight. This surely helps in preventing the panels to be bake in unpredictable outdoor environment. A solar simulator makes possible the accurate measurement of the optical-to-electrical conversion efficiency of photovoltaic-thermoelectric (PV-TE). The instrument quantitatively simulates the irradiance and spectral output of our own sun so that we can obtain efficiency data from the panel.

            With this research studies, it will help in producing a new development of solar simulator by combining the photovoltaic-thermoelectric hybrid module system. It can be used to test the performance of the solar cell so that an improvement can be done by identifying and do an analysis on the result produce. This will make sure that the recommendations on the most suitable of solar panel system with respect to the efficiency output can be achieved.