German testing and certification firm TÜV Rheinland has issued its first Potential Induced Degradation (PID) test certificate in China for Trina Solar's new Duo-Max module.
Trina called it a "significant achievement," as it is the first PID certificate issued by TÜV Rheinland in China. The module's success also demonstrates that Trina's PV components meet the most stringent PID testing standards, the company added.
PID refers to potential induced performance degradation in crystalline photovoltaic modules. It occurs when the module's voltage potential and leakage current cause ion mobility within the module. The degradation accelerates with exposure to humidity, temperature and voltage potential. Consequently, PID can have a profound adverse effect on the financing and operation of PV plants. PID tests simulate the practical conditions in the PV system, and verify the module performance and power output under high voltage.
In a standard test, the PV module is required to meet the 2PfG2387/04.14 testing requirement under conditions of 1,000 volts of system voltage, a relative humidity of 85% and a temperature of 65 degrees Celsius for 96 hours continuously. Trina said it succeeded in the most challenging test, under which the PV modules were exposed to extreme conditions of 85 degree Celsius, a relative humidity of 85% and 1,500 volts of system voltage, with the results showing less than 1.5% power degradation after 192 hours.
"The entire PV industry has paid great attention to PID and power loss, and some of the local PV manufactures have subjected their components to the standard PID tests. However, this was the first PID test under such severe conditions," said Chris Zou, general manager at TÜV Rheinland Shanghai. "Through the rigorous tests conducted by the authorized third party, we hope to provide PV plants with a precise index of high performance products. Furthermore, we are also helping manufactures to verify the quality and performance of their PV components through these tests," he added.
TÜV Rheinland announced in July that it was investigating the impact of different climates around the world on the energy yield of solar modules used for electricity generation.
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