SunPower has passed TUV Rheinland's sand abrasion testing for photovoltaic modules, system components and mounting structures.
The criteria for the new test include UV aging. To conduct sand abrasion testing on SunPower PV modules, TUV Rheinland partnered with California-based National Technical Systems, which focuses on sand and dust testing.
Further development of the test standard is ongoing at TUV Rheinland in Cologne, Germany. The testing and certification company says its goal is to develop a comprehensive approach to evaluating modules that will be installed in a desert environment.
‘There is a definite need for sand abrasion testing, but we wanted to develop it as part of a complete reliability testing approach for such environments," says Florian Reil, business field manager for innovations in the solar branch at TUV Rheinland. ‘With the significant growth of PV forecasted through 2030 in desert regions, such as the southwestern U.S. and Middle East, these tests are particularly timely.’
