Solar panel color measurement ensures opaque panels are within color tolerance for solar energy production and in color harmony for installation.
Environmental changes are motivating individuals and businesses to use more sustainable energy, making renewable solar energy increasingly popular around the world. Thanks to advances in technology, solar panels have become more efficient and produce more energy per square foot.
As the race to increase solar panel efficiency continues, X-Rite solutions can help by capturing precise color measurements on solar panels that correlate with the capacity of energy production. Using the Ci7800 benchtop spectrophotometer with Color iQC software, solar panel manufacturers can measure the grayness of panels to quantify solar reflectance for energy production.
Challenges
- To ensure proper solar radiation energy, panels must be within specified dE* of grayscale tolerance.
- Solar panels cannot reflect ambient light for safety reasons
- All panels must match; any color deviation will be easily noticed after installation
Solution
A color measurement solution from X-Rite can evaluate color on opaque silicon solar panels. The system includes the Ci7800 benchtop sphere spectrophotometer, which is used to measure spectral included in reflectance mode. With a ≤0.08 dE* inter-instrument agreement and ≤0.01 dE* repeatability, for consistent results across shifts and production sites.
Color iQC software displays measurement results to characterize the color of solar panels and quantify the amount absorption so operators can make clear pass/fail decisions and ensure panels are in tolerance before shipment. Color iQC also documents color quality records to verify the integrity of the program according to ISO standards and identify areas of improvement.
Adding NetProfiler, a cloud-based blend of software and color standards, makes it easy to adjust and validate spectrophotometer performance, identify instruments in need of service, and reduce variation between devices.
Results
- Seamlessly communicate, share, and coordinate color-critical values and specifications
- Detect color issues before installation to avoid the expense of tearing out and reinstalling panels
- Ensure solar panels comply with specifications and deliver the expected amount of energy
- Deliver consistent configuration across all locations and eliminates the potential for error using automated, software-driven setup
- Improve manufacturing consistency and output across supplier sites
How it Works
The on-board digital camera with preview and active targeting on the Ci7800 guarantee accurate sample targeting. It can also capture images for future retrieval so any smudges, scratches or imperfections can be detected and accompany the measurement data for audit. Measurement data is transferred to Color iQC software to evaluate whether panels are within color tolerance.
Solar panel manufacturers rely on various suppliers to make silicon panels. By requiring an X-Rite color measurement solution, manufacturers can seamlessly communicate, share, and coordinate color-critical values and specifications, and suppliers can ensure color is within tolerance before shipment.
Featured Products
Ci7800
A benchtop sphere spectrophotometer that provides measurement flexibility with switchable reflectance and optional transmission apertures to evaluate color and haze on solar panels. Ideal for supply chains, the Ci7800 offers industry-leading ≤0.08 dE* inter-instrument agreement and ≤0.01 dE* repeatability for operator confidence and consistent measurements.
Color iQC
Quality control software that connects with the Ci7800 benchtop to transfer color data and evaluate color compliance. With Color iQC software, specifiers and suppliers can achieve consistent color throughout the entire supply chain in a variety of industrial applications, including silicon solar panels.
NetProfiler
A cloud-based blend of software and color standards that makes it easy to adjust and validate instrument performance, identify instruments in need of service, and reduce variation between devices so you can trust that measurement differences are accurate indicators of color change and not a result of instrument variability. The Ci7800 has embedded NetProfiler status lights to verify the device is optimized for measurement performance.
Achieve Color Excellence
Using the Ci7800 benchtop spectrophotometer with Color iQC software, manufacturers can measure the grayness of solar panels to quantify solar reflectance for energy production. This standardized measurement and data connectivity ensures that solar panels produced in different locations all comply with specifications and deliver the expected amount of energy.
