Inside Solaires: Creating the Future of Solar with Innovative Solutions
When it comes to testing photovoltaic a.k.a solar technology, the standard methods are designed for outdoor environments, where sunlight is abundant and consistent. But what happens when you're testing photovoltaic technology designed to harness indoor light? Traditional outdoor testing methods just don't cut it, and that's where the challenge lies.
At Solaires, we saw this gap and took action. Drawing on our expertise in photovoltaic technology, we developed our own standardized testing equipment tailored specifically for indoor photovoltaic modules. Our innovative tools enable precise, reliable measurements under controlled indoor lighting conditions, ensuring consistent and accurate performance assessments.
This innovation was born out of necessity. As pioneers in developing advanced solar solutions for indoor applications, we faced the same challenges of insufficient equipment. Rather than relying on suboptimal methods, we decided to create our own tools - establishing a new standard for indoor solar testing that benefits not only our products but the entire industry.
Testing indoor photovoltaic (PV) modules requires precise control over light intensity and color temperature to replicate real-world conditions accurately. Many existing solutions either lack the ability to dynamically adjust these parameters or provide real-time feedback, leading to inefficiencies in testing and development processes. The Solaires Light Box is our answer to this challenge, designed to create flexible and customizable lighting conditions. Easy-to-use controls let users adjust brightness levels and color tones to match specific needs. This cutting-edge tool has sped up our development process and proven to be a reliable, efficient solution. Built with carefully integrated components, its unique design is protected by our intellectual property, making it a versatile choice for testing and other uses where adaptable lighting is essential.
The main control PCB of the Light Box features pushbutton controls for adjusting light brightness (100, 200, 500, and 1000 lux) and colour temperature (4000K to 5000K). This board enables precise control of the LED array to customise lighting conditions for various applications.
The heart of the Light Box is its main control board, which makes it easy to adjust both the brightness and color tone of the light using simple push-button controls. It’s pre-calibrated to provide precise brightness settings - 100, 200, 500, and 1000 lux - giving users the flexibility to choose the perfect intensity. The color temperature can also be fine-tuned between 4000K and 5000K, allowing the lighting to be customized for different needs or environments. With the Light Box, we can replicate indoor and ambient lighting conditions, making it perfect for testing solar modules designed for indoor use. This ensures our products are optimized for real-world scenarios, providing reliable performance data in controlled, realistic settings.
Solaires Light Box: Designed for precise testing, it ensures controlled lighting conditions by monitoring and adjusting LED intensity and color temperature in real time.
Another key component of the Light Box system is the Light Box Sensing Board, which measures the light intensity (lux) and color temperature of the LED output. It collects real-time data and sends it to the Control Board, where the readings are processed and displayed on-screen. This feedback loop allows users to monitor and fine-tune the lighting conditions with precision, ensuring accurate and consistent settings. By providing real-time insights, the Sensing Board enhances the system's efficiency and makes the Light Box a dynamic tool for applications that demand customizable and reliable lighting.
The Solaires Light Box is not only crucial for our product development but also offers significant value to the wider industry. Providing a standardized and customizable testing environment, enables other companies working with indoor solar solutions to accurately simulate real-world conditions and optimize their products. This device bridges a critical gap in the market by offering precise control over lighting conditions, which is essential for testing indoor photovoltaic modules and other technologies that rely on artificial light. With consistent and reliable testing, the Light Box helps ensure that products perform efficiently and reliably, leading to better outcomes for manufacturers, researchers, and ultimately, consumers. Its versatility and accuracy make it an invaluable tool for advancing innovation across the solar industry.
Optimizing photovoltaic (PV) module performance requires thorough, long-term testing under controlled conditions to assess both efficiency and reliability. For those working with indoor solar technology, this becomes even more critical, as traditional testing systems often fall short in meeting the unique demands of indoor applications. Many of these systems require manual adjustments, offer limited automation, or lack real-time data integration, which makes it difficult to simulate the specific lighting conditions indoor modules rely on. This lack of precision and efficiency in testing slows down innovation and product refinement, preventing engineers and researchers from fully understanding how their technologies perform under real-world indoor conditions. The absence of a standardized, automated solution hinders the development of solar solutions that can perform effectively in indoor environments, ultimately delaying progress for companies pushing the boundaries of indoor solar technology.
Solaires MPPT: Control Channel for the Dual Channel MPPT Station.
Solaires MPPT: Internal electronics of the MPPT.
The Solaires MPPT Station solves these challenges with a smart, two-channel system built for long-term testing of PV modules. This system allows for precise measurement of key parameters, including the voltage, current, Maximum Power Point (MPP), open circuit voltage (Voc), short circuit current (Isc), fill factor, and maximum power output. By capturing these critical metrics, the MPPT Station provides our team with valuable insights into the efficiency and reliability of our solar technologies, helping us optimize and accelerate the development of cutting-edge photovoltaic solutions.
Solaires MPPT: control station / data collection from the MPPT.
The Dual Channel MPPT Station takes testing to the next level by enabling long-term PV module evaluation under consistent light conditions. Every 15 minutes, the station automatically re-scans the Maximum Power Point (MPP) and adjusts to the optimal settings, ensuring accurate performance measurements. This data is then sent to a central database for storage and analysis. Through our custom MPPT Station Data Webserver, users can access real-time performance metrics and track module behavior from anywhere. The web server also provides wireless control over the MPPT Station, allowing users to adjust settings such as MPPT tracking mode, and sample names, or even reset the device, all from an intuitive, easy-to-use interface. This advanced system gives our team the ability to continuously monitor the module’s performance, spotting trends and making adjustments that speed up development while ensuring maximum efficiency and reliability. This tool not only improves our workflow but also lays the groundwork for groundbreaking innovations in solar technology.
At Solaires, innovation drives everything we do, transforming challenges into opportunities. Each of our tools - the MPPT Station and Light Box - originated from a unique need: optimizing photovoltaic performance, simulating diverse lighting conditions. Yet, they are united by a shared purpose: advancing sustainability through cutting-edge solutions.
The Light Box provides the flexibility to simulate varied lighting scenarios, a critical capability for testing and development. The MPPT Station enables precise tracking and optimization of solar module efficiency, allowing us to refine our products for peak performance.
At Solaires, we’re not just developing tools - we’re building the foundation for a sustainable future. Our commitment to innovation drives us to create solutions that not only push the boundaries of solar technology but also ensure a safer, more efficient workspace for our team. These advancements aren’t just about meeting today’s needs - they’re about shaping tomorrow’s world. By continuously refining our approach to sustainability, we are unlocking the potential to revolutionize how solar energy is harnessed and integrated into everyday life, paving the way for a cleaner, more resilient future for generations to come.
If you require more information on our PVModules, the MPPT or the Lightbox, please contact hello@solaires.net