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6 Tuesday, July 9, 2013 OAI INTRODUCES AN ADVANCED SYSTEM FOR TESTING HIGH EFFICIENCY SOLAR CELLS In working with partner companies, OAI found when testing high efficiency solar cells, that flash testers produce inconsistent fill-factor (FF) values and lower cell efficiency measurements due to I-V curve hysteresis when sweeping in both forward and reverse directions. OAI's new single long pulse solar simulator and I-V test system overcomes the limitations of flash testers and provides exceptionally accurate measurements for various types of high efficiency solar cells. "Obtaining the required pulse width and sweep rate is a significant challenge for a flash test system's ability to accurately determine the true performance of advanced high efficiency solar cells," says Dr. Mohan Bhan, Director of OAI's Solar Test Division. He adds "Research shows that High Efficiency Cells require a pulse width in the range of 75-200ms and a working range of less than 15Vsec voltage sweep rates." In contrast, flash testers only provide an extremely short pulse duration in the range of 5–50ms and require fast voltage sweep rates. OAI's new advanced test system combines a single long pulse solar simulator with advanced uniform beam optics, a built-in auto shutter that controls the single long pulse whose duration can be adjusted from 5ms to ≥200ms, and a high power I-V test system. The I-V rider software supplied QUICKSCREWS MAKES ROOF INSTALLATION EASY AND INEXPENSIVE Quickscrews International has been steadily working on creating a full line of mounting products to meet the needs of the most common residential roofs in America. Quickscrews offers several different roof hooks for tile roofs. The roof hooks designed for flat tiles are very easy to install and can accommodate bottom mount rails as well as side mount rails. For curved tiles, Quickscrews has three different versions – the STRH90 is made for side mount only and has a six-inch base with slots for the greatest amount of adjustment. The STRHADJ is made for bottom mount rails and allows the installer to adjust the height of the rail easily. The newest hook in the family is just arriving and is called the SEAWARD'S NEW SOLARLINK PV TEST TECHNOLOGY The latest solar PV electrical test kit from Seaward Solar has special PV system data logging and downloading capabilities to enable contractors to install new solar PV installations safely, thoroughly and effectively in line with inter- national standards. The new Solarlink Test Kit includes all the necessary equipment to perform pre-installation site surveys and measure the electrical safety and performance of installed PV systems in Solar Power Daily News with the system adjusts and optimizes the voltage sweep rate from <0.25V/sec to >150V/sec in order to compensate for the high capacitance of the solar cell and to match the device's dielectric response speed. The OAI solar simulator, with internal optical feedback and control, provides short and long-term stability by correcting each point on the I-V curve to a 1Sun reference intensity. Additionally, the system adjusts the power to maintain a constant intensity of 1 Sun without operator intervention and automatically adjusts and maintains the reference ratio to ~1.0. These features help to achieve the most accurate binning of production wafers, resulting in increased profitability. The I-V software displays the reference ratio as a quality check. The system also displays the lamp power and reference ratio and sounds an alarm when the lamp life is about to reach its end. A graphical and tabular data comparison of exposure and intensity over time provides an outstanding tool for quality control. An excellent choice for both R&D and production measurements, OAI's new long pulse test system solves the unique measurement challenges of both high efficiency and high capacitance solar Cells. The single long pulse test system offers exceptional performance, outstanding reliability, and versatility backed by OAI's 40 years of optical design experience. All OAI systems are supported by its world-wide service and support organization. For more information, contact OAI at 408-232-0600, online at www.oainet.com, or by email at sales@oainet.com. Stop by booth # 8606 at Intersolar North America. STRHADJ18097. This hook gives the installer the greatest amount of adjustability. The connection comes out on the top of the barrel with an adjustment range of 67mm to 97mm over the height of the tile. The newly patented QuickBOLT system is by far and away the least expensive footing on the market. This unique footing is easy to install, and the company is backing the product with a 20-year guarantee that it will not leak. A newly designed flashing has been developed to work in conjunction with the QuickBOLT in areas where building codes require it. Add the unique offset L-foot and many other stainless steel screws, nuts and bolts, and there's no wonder why Quickscrews is now emerging as one of the more innovative companies that are developing footings for mounting solar panels on residential roofs. This year at Intersolar you can see award-winning close-up magic performed by Chef Anton. You will be dazzled and amazed while learning more about the Quickscrews product line. All the products, along with Chef Anton, can be seen in Booth #9139. Order online today at www.quickscrews.com. line with IEC 62446. The all-in-one kit combines the comprehensive electrical test capabilities of the new PV150 solar handheld tester with the advanced Solar Survey 200R multifunction environment meter. The PV150 is the most technically advanced and safest solar PV installation tester on the market. In the comprehensive new kit, it is accompanied by the Solar Survey 200R environment meter, which incorporates a PV reference cell for more representative measurements. Special wireless Solarlink connectivity between the two instruments enables real-time irradiance to be displayed and measured at the same time as electrical testing is being undertaken. This means that compass bearing and roof tilt can be measured, and irradiance, module and ambient temperature can be recorded in real time within the PV150 as the electrical tests are conducted. Once testing is completed, the USB download of time- and date-stamped test results, irradiance, and temperature measurements provides full traceability and speeds up the completion of PV system documentation and customer handover packs. In addition to solar PV system installation and commissioning, the new For more information, stop by booth 9139 at Intersolar North America. Continued on Page 19 SKYLINE SOLAR: A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR SOLAR SUPPORT STRUCTURES FOR COVERED PARKING AREAS Skyline Solar Arizona is a design-build construction firm that builds solar support structures in the form of carport, parking garage, and top-of-parking-lot structures. Formed in 2009, Skyline Solar is a division of Skyline Steel, which was founded in 1983 as a commercial covered parking company in the state of Arizona. In 1990, the company diversified into Division 5 Miscellaneous and Structural Steel Fabrication and Erection. Then in 2002, the company used its expertise as a covered parking company to springboard into the solar industry because, of course, mounting a solar installation on top of a covered parking facility is a terrific opportunity to increase the efficiency of the structure. Eleven years later, Skyline is one of the larger solar contractors in the country, with 23 megaWatts of solar support structures installed during 2012 alone. Continued on Page 19