Abstract—An effective low-cost hybrid solar simulator combining
LED sources and a low-voltage halogen lamp to produce an
output beam that can closely match a desired solar spectrum is
proposed and analyzed in this paper. A summary of design and
optimization procedure for spectral match is given, on the basis of
the photometric values taken from data sheets and converted to
the corresponding radiometric values. As an example of application,
the output spectrum is preliminary compared with standard
global terrestrial solar spectra air mass AM 1.5 for a test plane
of 12.5 × 12.5 cm2. The results of simulated spectra calculations
and some experimental measurements on a hybrid LED-halogen
solar simulator prototype are given. Experimental tests have
shown the possibility of reaching the Class B of spectral matching
with better than 5% spatial nonuniformity over a designed test
area of 10 × 10 cm2. The halogen lamp is properly chosen to
cover the range of near-infrared (NIR) radiation, and the use of
infrared diode emitters is avoided. The possibility to get a solar
hybrid simulator having Class A for spectral match by adding few
NIR diode emitters is also investigated.