CFV Labs 40 Year PV Module Reliability Testing Program

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• PV Module reliability testing horizons need to correlate with financial modeling assumptions.

• CFV Labs has developed a comprehensive 40 year bankability testing program based on IEC 63209 with technology specific customization.

• Includes tests for material durability, cell degradation, mechanical durability and performance testing.

CFV Labs Hail Testing

• CFV Labs has the capability to test PV modules for hail damage susceptibility with ice balls ranging from 25mm-75mm.

• IEC 61215 MQT 17 is a sound test for exploring catastrophic hail damage to modules involving glass breakage.

• Other test methods are required to examine module susceptibility to cell cracking caused by hail.

• New standards development activity for hail is ongoing in the IEC and CFV is participating.

   

CFV Labs PV Module Module Backsheet Testing

• CFV Labs has tested both older and newer backsheets to the new IEC TS 63209 backsheet testing protocol.

• We find that both older and newer backsheets can fail this test.

• Module construction is important, not just backsheet material.

• Ongoing testing at CFV is pushing the expected horizon of backsheet tests out to 40 years.
   

CFV PV Module Bankability Program

• Comprehensive bankability testing program based on IEC 63209 with technology specific customization.

• Includes tests for material durability, cell degradation, mechanical durability and performance testing.

• Third party BOM verification and build witness. 

• Report sharing with investors and IEs. 

Cell Degradation Testing

• Both LID and LeTID can be problems with newer technology modules, especially modules made from PERC cells.

• LID and LeTID operate via different mechaninsms and on different time scales and and may actually overlap, making disentangling the effects problematic.

• CFV has a protocol designed to isolate and quantify each effect to the extent possible.

Mechanical Durability Testing

• CFV specializes in sophisticated mechanical load testing protocols.

• The protocols test for catasrophic module damage under wind and snow loads and also for module susceptibilty to cell cracking.

• Newer modules with thinner frames, end clamped modules and center clamped modules on single-axis-trackers need to be carefully evaluated.