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Worldwide photovoltaic (PV) modules are tested and certified mainly according to certain IEC standards (IEC 61215, IEC 616146, IEC 61730). This standard developed in moderate climates incorporate some aspects of hot and dry or hot and humid climates and daily temperature cycles e.g. the so called thermal cycling test takes into account the thermal mechanical stress caused by day-night temperature differences. Nevertheless, the partculately extreme conditions of regions in the sun belt are not part of IEC standards. This special stress conditions will be presented & discussed with focus on failure modes and special test requirements. The sample region will be the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Speaker

Prof. Claudio Ferrara, Head of Department Weathering and Reliability and Head of TestLab PV Modules Division Photovoltaic Modules, Systems and Reliability Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg, Germany