Berger PSS10 Pulsed Solar Simulator 230V 1700W w/ Electronicon Capacitors

Berger PSS10 Pulsed Solar Simulator 230V 1700W w/ Electronicon Capacitors

The Berger PSS10 is a pulsed solar simulator designed for characterizing solar cells and photovoltaic panels via flash-based IV curve measurement. Built by Berger Lichttechnik of Munich, Germany, these simulators fire a high-intensity xenon flash lamp to produce a calibrated pulse of simulated sunlight, allowing the electrical performance of a solar cell to be measured without thermal drift. This unit is the power supply / capacitor bank module of the PSS10 system — the high-voltage capacitor bank stores and discharges the energy required to drive the flash lamp, and the onboard electronics regulate voltage and timing. The front-panel LCD bargraph display shows set and actual voltage levels in real time with a STATUS readout; during our photography it displayed STATUS: Ready at 91.5%.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Berger Lichttechnik — München, Germany
• Model: PSS10 (Pulsed Solar Simulator)
• Input Voltage: 230V
• Power: 1700W
• Frequency: 60 Hz
• Fuse: 6.3ATT
• Certifications: CE (IEC compliance)
• Display: Front-panel LCD bargraph — SET voltage, ACT voltage, percentage, and STATUS indicator
• Front panel controls: Green power indicator, yellow emergency stop (E-stop) mushroom button
• Form factor: Floor-standing cabinet on four locking caster wheels
• Dimensions: 37" L × 22" W × 24" H
• Capacitor bank — Qty 12: Electronicon E62.R32-754C20 MKP Capacitors
• Capacitor ratings: 750 µF ±10%, 1000V DC / 640V AC
• Capacitor temperature range: −25°C to +85°C
• Capacitor standard: IEC 61071, castor-oil filled, Made in Germany (19.05.11)
• Upper interior: Toroidal transformer, relay/contactor bank, multi-wire control harness (blue/red/yellow)
• Included accessories (visible in photos):
  • Circular dark-gray sample stage disc with contact probe holes
  • Two spring-loaded contact probe assemblies with alignment pins
  • Three alignment/driver pins
  • Xenon flash lamp assembly with coiled lamp and hammered-silver reflector dish
  • Black SMA/ST fiber optic bundle (short, multi-leg)
  • Orange ST-to-ST multimode duplex fiber optic patch cable
• Manuals and datasheets available — contact us

Applications

Pulsed solar simulators like the Berger PSS10 are used in solar cell research, production-line quality control, and certification testing to measure the current-voltage (IV) characteristics of photovoltaic cells and modules under standardized, repeatable illumination conditions. The pulsed xenon flash approach is preferred in PV metrology because the short, intense light pulse minimizes sample heating, allowing accurate measurement of temperature-sensitive thin-film devices such as CIGS, CdTe, and amorphous silicon cells. This unit came directly from Solopower, one of the last US-based manufacturers of flexible CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) thin-film solar panels, where it served as a backup spare for their in-house solar cell characterization line. Today, pulsed solar simulators of this type are used in university PV research labs, national test laboratories, solar panel manufacturers, and independent certification bodies performing IEC 60904 and ASTM E1021 measurements. The PSS10 platform from Berger Lichttechnik is a well-regarded European instrument in the PV test equipment segment, and spare power supply/capacitor bank modules are sought after by existing PSS10 users for system redundancy.