Critical Evaluation of the Foundations of Solar Simulator Standards

Simulator classifications are often cited for performance measurement of silicon solar cells and modules. While there is significant technical work investigating these classifications (spectral classification in particular), the implications of these results have not been clearly articulated in practical terms. This paper reviews the classification metrics, and concludes that there are many misconceptions based on interpretations of what the classification means. In particular, it is found that the classifications in the standards do not necessarily predict simulator accuracy, and can promote the opposite.