Solar simulator with artificial cold sky

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Figure 4: Tracker under the solar simulator during indoor testing

The solar simulator’s lamp field consists of sixteen 1500 W metal halide lamps. In addition to the vertical and tilt movements, it is also possible to move the lamp field horizontally on the cantilever. This is necessary, as the tracker is mounted on tracks, which means that its distance from the lamp field cannot be varied. All position parameters are recorded electronically and shown on a screen. The actuators are driven via a wired remote control; positioning the lamp field over the collector is facilitated by a laser for cross projection and an ultrasonic distance sensor.