Long term reliability is not well addressed by current standards for PV modules or components, and developing accelerated weathering stress protocols to test the resistance of key components to wear-out is an active area of research. A first step is to understand and quantify the range of actual stresses modules will encounter in the various mounting configurations and in-service environments. In this paper, we use real-world data to benchmark PV module service environments in hot/dry, hot/wet, and temperate environments, with subsequent analysis to translate the microclimate data into a portfolio of practical weathering instrument settings.

Date Published: 8 October 2014
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 9179, Reliability of Photovoltaic Cells, Modules, Components, and Systems VII, 91790L (8 October 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2063122

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9179:
Reliability of Photovoltaic Cells, Modules, Components, and Systems VII
Neelkanth G. Dhere, Editor(s)