Atlas Material Testing Technology has added a coastal/marine test option to the Atlas 25PLUS PV Module Durability Testing Program. This option was added in response to customer feedback on evaluating the effects of salt corrosion on photovoltaic modules used in seaside installations and marine applications, the company says.
The new test can be added to either the standard Global Composite or Tropical/ Sub-Tropical climate tracks of the test program. The coastal/marine option adds an additional PV module to the standard test program and extends the total test time from 12 to 13 months.
The additional module is exposed at the Atlas South Florida test site, where standardized synthetic seawater is applied via spray five days a week to the front and back of a near-horizontal module. The laboratory-accelerated aged module from the standard 25PLUS program also undergoes an additional final month of salt fog and condensing humidity chamber exposure.
SOURCE: Atlas Material Testing Technology
