SETTL Outdoor Research Facility

The Solar Energy Technology Testing Laboratory (SETTL) is an outdoor research, development, and testing facility dedicated to photovoltaic modules, photovoltaic balance of systems, power electronics, and related technologies. This location provides an outdoor test area with flexible purpose to suite a variety of PV and PV Balance of Systems (BOS) testing. The outdoor field is partitioned into three areas:

The first section contains a 27.6kW kW fixed array comprised of five sub arrays (four string inverters and one microinverter system). Performance data including dc-output of the PV strings and ac output of the inverters is measured and recorded using revenue-grade power meters. This portion of the facility was supported by the United States Department of Energy and the Texas State Energy Conservation Office to support the academic, research, and community outreach missions of the University.

The second second contains PV modules mounted to a fixed racking system, but electrically unconnected. This section supports experimentation with dc/dc power optimizers, rapid shutdown equipment, arc detection equipment, microinverters, string inverters, or any other type of balance of systems components.

The third section contains the racking infrastructure and can be used to test PV modules, racking and mounting equipment, thermal modules, PVT modules, or other technologies.

Adjacent to the outdoor field is the Grid Interactions Research Facility (GIRF). Underground conduits provide connection for power and signal from the outdoor solar field.

This facility is available to support academic research or to partner with industry to support R&D, test and evaluation, or provide other services.