Extreme weather events everywhere are doing what cool logic had failed to do: convince even the most obdurate sceptics that climate change is indeed real. What has also become clear is that photovoltaic modules, one tool in the planet’s armory as it seeks to reduce carbon emissions by using alternative energy sources, need to be extremely sturdy as they are exposed to such weather over very long lengths of time.
In an analysis published on 30th July 2021, Trina solar proves its high mechanical reliability of Vertex 670W module, after passing 6 rigorous tests, including the 35mm hail test, non-uniform snow-load tests, extreme DML tests, extreme wind tunnel tests and extreme low-temperature mechanical load tests, among others. They have thus proven their ultra-high reliability in withstanding wind, pressure and freezing temperatures.
In the 35mm hailstone test, power attenuation of single-glass 670W modules was just 0.17%, and no attenuation was detected in dual-glass modules.
Under the stringent requirements of the IEC 61215 series, the hail test of Trina Solar’s Vertex 670W modules simulated the shock of hail on the modules’ surface. Using a pneumatic emissions device, natural hail was imitated, with artificial ice balls hitting the modules at a constant speed. After the modules had been subjected to these shocks the outward appearance, electrical safety and any change of output performance were thoroughly checked.
In the test ice balls with a diameter of 35mm (similar to a regular egg’s central diameter) were used, and these hit the surface of the module at a speed of 27.2 meters a second. Meteorologists class hail as heavy when the diameter of the hailstones exceeds 20mm. After the test the surface of the 670W Vertex modules was intact, and there were no micro-cracks.
The modules also passed insulation and wet leakage tests. Power attenuation of single-glass modules was only 0.17%, and no attenuation was detected for dual-glass modules. All this means that under extreme hail weather conditions, Trina Solar’s 670W Vertex modules will withstand high-speed shock and are still safe and reliable. In short, excellent quality is guaranteed.
PV modules’ ability to withstand hail is mostly related to the material of the frontsheet, made of glass. The thickness of the glass and its tolerance to shock have direct bearing on its capacity.
Chen Lin, technology head of Xinyi Glass Holdings Limited, said: “We have enlarged the size of the steel furnace and adjusted fan configuration and strictly controlled our manufacturing and management process, so that the steel strength of the glass, which is matched with 210 modules, is guaranteed, with full technological reliability.”
In the 210 modules the ability of the glass to resist shock fully guarantees their safety and reliability.
In addition, based on the structural features of various modules, Trina Solar has special requirements for the performance of glass. The inspection and test specifications of both suppliers and Trina Solar ensure that the reliability of the glass is fully integrated into the design and structure of the products.
This in turn creates a corporate standard that is promoted to become the industrial standard, and indeed a national standard.
In 2007 Trina Solar adopted a management policy of continuing reliability tests that established the material ORT concept in the industry and included it in the reliability corporate standard, including full series testing programs such as the IEC 61215, IEC 61730, and IEC 63216. In most cases the company’s internal standards are set at a level two to three times that of the IEC standard.