Abstract—Multi-junction solar cells are commonly used in
space applications where they are exposed to the air mass 0
(AM0) spectrum. Solar simulators are used to emulate the AM0
spectrum for ground testing of the solar cells before the space
application is launched. A low-cost solar simulator was designed
using LEDs for the visible spectrum and halogen lamps for the
infrared spectrum. A design procedure is provided to determine
the intensity and geometry of the lights needed to meet spectral
match and spatial uniformity requirements. The presented solar
simulator design is adequate for testing GaInP2/GaAs/Ge triplejunction
solar cells intended for use in a cube satellite application
and has a significantly lower cost than commercially-available
solar simulators.