Greentech Lead America: Konica Minolta Sensing Americas,
a subsidiary of Konica Minolta Holdings, has unveiled new AK-300 PV Reference
Cell, the world’s first dye-sensitized solar cell.
The company claims that the AK-300 is the latest addition
to the KMSA’s AK Series of reference cells portfolio. Reference cells are used
as a standard point of calibration to ensure consistent measurements of newly
developed photovoltaic cells.
Konica Minolta Sensing has collaborated with National
Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) to develop this
Reference cells. The AK-300 is designed using Konica Minolta Sensing’s advanced
optical filter mounted on a stable crystalline silicon solar cell rather than
using traditional dye materials.
By employing Konica Minolta Sensing’s optical filter
technology originally cultivated for color measuring instruments, spectral
mismatch is greatly reduced. Spectral mismatch can be suppressed to 1 percent
or less even when evaluating solar cell performance using JIS C-8942 Class C
solar simulators.
The AK-300 is a completely integrated cell with
connectors for I-V measurement as well as temperature measurement. The built-in
temperature sensor can be connected to a temperature controlled stage to easily
achieve and maintain the standard test condition of 25 degrees C. Also included
are the short-circuit current (Isc) values used for solar simulator adjustment.
AK Series Reference Cells have a high durability against
exposure to light, greatly reducing solarization (changes in characteristics
due to the effects of light exposure) and ensuring stability even when used
over a long period of time.
Errors in short-circuit current (Isc) due to multiple
reflection is greatly reduced. Improvements in the optical structure suppress
multiple reflections and reduce the 1.3 pecent error of conventional products
to 0.0 percent.
Last year, KMSA launched its newest light measurement product, the T-10A Series Illuminance Meter.