Two types of sensors are commonly used for irradiance measurement in solar simulator testing: pyranometers and photovoltaic reference cells.
A pyranometer measures broadband solar radiation over a wide wavelength range. Because it responds to total incident radiation, it is often used for general irradiance measurements and for monitoring long-term stability.
A reference cell, on the other hand, is a calibrated photovoltaic device designed to represent the spectral response of a specific type of solar cell. Reference cells are frequently used in photovoltaic testing because they provide measurements directly related to the electrical performance of photovoltaic devices.
Each sensor type has advantages depending on the measurement purpose. Pyranometers are suitable for measuring absolute irradiance levels, while reference cells are useful when evaluating photovoltaic device performance under solar simulator illumination.