Release
The SGS Solar Testhouse provides Salt Spray Testing services to solar manufacturers in order to confirm quality conformance to international standards, using corrosion acceleration in an artificial atmosphere.
Adverse environmental and weather conditions are frequent in coastal regions and at sea, where the salt-laden and highly humid air will quickly corrode any unprotected parts in solar installations.
In order to verify that solar panels will withstand years of exposure in salt-rich and humid atmospheres, it is necessary to perform salt mist and salt spray tests in an artificial atmosphere that accelerate the natural corrosive effects typical in coastal regions or at sea. In this way, many years of equipment’s operational exposure to harsh conditions can be simulated in a matter of weeks.
Salt spray testing ensures conformance with international standards such as IEC 61701:1995 / DIN EN 61701:2000-8, 60068-2-52 2. Ed. 1996-01 and provides various levels of severity, corresponding to progressively longer durations of test. Conformance is an especially important indicator of quality, the SGS Solar Testhouse certified aleo solar AG, whose S_18 solar modules passed stringent salt spray testing on April 8, 2011. In this case the tests were performed at the highest level of severity, which takes 1,280 hours to perform. The test involves repeated cycles of spraying with a 5% saline solution at ambient temperatures of between 15°C and 35°C for two hours, followed by 22 hours at 40°C with a relative humidity of 93%.
About SGS Solar Testhouse
Located in the ‘Solar Valley of Central Germany’, the Solar Testhouse has been in the SGS Group’s portfolio since February 25, 2009. The service concept of the SGS Solar Testhouse not only concerns the testing and certification of photovoltaic modules in accordance with the most important standards such as IEC 61215, IEC 61646 and IEC 61730-1/2, but also covers the entire value chain process.
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