Portable Folding Solar Test Method

How do we test solar modules on-site?

Our mobile measurement and testing equipment for on-site testing of solar modules includes A+A+A+ LED sun simulators, high-resolution electroluminescence testers and various other tests. Integrated in a small van or a container, the systems are flexible to use and easy to move from one location to another.

How to build highly foldable solar cells?

The key requirements to construct highly foldable solar cells, including structure design based on tuning the neutral axis plane, and adopting flexible alternatives including substrates, transparent electrodes and absorbers, are intensively discussed.

What are foldable solar cells?

Key points for achieving highly foldable solar cells Compared to the normal bendable solar cells which can endure flexion with a smooth curve with radius of several millimeters, foldable solar cells can tolerate the crease at the edge with a curvature radius of sub-millimeter.

Can portable solar panels be deployed easily?

Since these panels are stationary, they are also difficult to deploy and transport and are prone to damages and hindrance. The portable system prototype proposed in this paper can deploy the solar panels easily and retract them with minimal effort based on the Miura origami folding patterns and mechanical rotation of the panels.

What is the difference between bending and folding in solar cells?

However, in contrast to mild bending with curvature radius of several millimeters, folding generates the crease with extreme curvature radius of sub-millimeter, resulting in the appearance of large strain and stress. As a result, it is highly challenging to realize robustly foldable and highly efficient solar cells.

What happens if a solar module is folded?

When the solar modules subjected to folding, the Jsc started to decrease and gradually saturated at around 4 mA cm -2 after 10 cycles of folding/unfolding, while the Voc almost remained constant throughout 40 times folding/unfolding, as shown in Figure 3D. Foldable solar cells with crease in the predesigned place.