What Environmental Tests are Required for Solar PV Panels?

According to UL-1703 test standard

• UL-1703-19 Temperature Test

Purpose: When the solar cell equipped in the open circuit of the power supply reaches thermal equilibrium, the reverse voltage and short circuit current cause the heating of the local area to be at the specified temperature in any part.

• UL-1703-33 Water Spray Test

Purpose: The solar cell is subjected to a sprinkling test. The test does not result in the presence of water on the non-insulated movable part, or the concentration of water in the interval of the movable part

• UL-1703-34 Accelerated Aging Test

Purpose: To conduct accelerated aging tests on gaskets, sealing rings and other materials (excluding cork plugs, fiber materials and similar materials). After accelerated aging tests, they cannot be deformed, melted or hardened to affect their sealing performance.

• UL-1703-35 Temperature Cycling Test

Objective: After 200 cycles of temperature cycle testing for solar cells, whether the current continuity of the test cells is normal, whether leakage current and insulation resistance are reduced.

Test conditions: -40-1 ℃ --90 + 1 ℃ ·

Residence time: up to 1.75 hr, at least 0.5hr (the surface temperature can be reached within 30min)

Temperature change rate: maximum 120 ℃ / H cycle number: 200 cycle

Test requirements: monitor and record the surface temperature of solar cells

• UL-1703-36 Humidity Test

Purpose: After 10 cycles of wet freezing test for solar cells, check whether the current continuity is normal, whether the insulation resistance is lower than the standard value, and whether corrosion occurs.

Test conditions: 85 ℃ 85 ± 2.5% (at least 20h)--40 ℃ (0.5h ~ 4h)

Temperature change rate: normal temperature → high temperature → normal temperature: maximum 120 ℃ / hr, normal temperature to low temperature → normal temperature: maximum 200 ℃ / hr

Number of cycles: 10 cycle

Test requirements: monitor and record the surface temperature of solar cells

1.75 hours maximum, 0.15 hours minimum

Last 200 cycles

• UL-1703-37 Corrosive Atmosphere Test

Purpose: The solar cell is tested for gas corrosion, which includes two tests: salt water spray test and sulfur dioxide test, to test whether the coating layer is damaged and the steel is formed into corrosion.