Page 10 - Energize August 2021

NEWS

CSIR commissions PV module test lab

Independent PV module test-lab helps buyers get long-lasting value

any more individuals and organisations are installing PV
modules to reduce their dependency on the national grid to
Msave money on their electricity bills and reduce their carbon
footprint. At the same time, the government’s renewable energy
independent power producers’ procurement programme calls for
large amounts of solar PV-based electricity generation to help meet its
environmental targets.
As with all products, some PV modules are better than others. But n
how does one tell the difference? How can anyone be sure that they are
buying the most suitable PV modules for their application with expected
25-year lifetimes?
In order to reduce the risks and provide clients with an independent
evaluation of PV modules being sold in South Africa, the CSIR Energy
Centre commissioned a quality and reliability laboratory for testing long- Outdoor test facility for performance model verification and real-world
term reliability of solar PV modules. power degradation monitoring of multiple PV technologies.
The results of the tests reveal reliability risks in accelerated
timeframes to support local manufacturers, project developers, system The laboratory conducts research and testing for domestic and imported
owners, and lenders in the PV value chain. PV module manufacturers, module mounting hardware manufacturers,
Energize spoke to Lawrence Pratt, the principal researcher and operations and maintenance service providers, and PV plant developers.
laboratory manager at the CSIR Energy Centre, about the CSIR’s PV The test protocols help reduce risk for PV investments by ensuring the
module quality and reliability lab facility recently. PV system components are held to the highest standards based on
international testing and acceptance protocols.
Click here to listen to that interview. The CSIR Energy Centre also conducts research and development on
PV systems in real-time based on several outdoor systems. The CSIR hosts
The laboratory features accelerated stress test and measurement 2 MW of the grid-connected PV for self-consumption, enabling research on
equipment purchased with funds provided by the Technology Localisation the actual performance of commercial-scale PV systems installed on single
and Implementation Unit (TLIU) and the CSIR. axis trackers, dual-axis trackers, and fixed tilt rooftop system.
The accelerated stress tests are designed to provoke real-world The research topics include PV module quality and reliability, PV
failure mechanisms in low quality PV modules within a few months in the plant performance monitoring and optimisation, outdoor performance
laboratory rather than over a few years in the field. The test protocols monitoring of multiple PV technologies, system performance
reduce the likelihood of costly PV module replacements in the future model verification, pre-feasibility studies, and defect detection and
when these tests are specified during the procurement and contracting classification in electroluminescence (EL) images using the latest in
because the suppliers will send only the best PV modules for the project. machine learning architecture.
Click here to watch a short video about the laboratory Send your comments to rogerl@nowmedia.co.za

Environmental chambers for conducting accelerated stress tests to assess Sun simulator for testing PV module power over a broad range of
long-term PV module reliability. Tests include thermal, humidity and temperatures (15ºC to 75ºC) and irradiance levels (200 W/m to
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electrical stresses to induce failures in poorly constructed PV modules. 1100 W/m ).
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