Taiwan is expected to rank 10th place among the world's 16 GW-level PV markets in 2019, thanks to its sunny weather in subtropical region and supply of indigenous PV modules with highly reliable quality, which is critical for the operation and life of local PV power systems, given local island-type weather featuring high temperature and high humidity.
To help with development of PV modules with high reliability, which can bring PV system operators steady cash flow, the semi-official Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has set up the Photovoltaic Test Laboratory, under its Center for Measurement Standards, offering PV-product testing service, according to IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission) standards and UL 1703 standards of the U.S.
In addition, the Bureau of Energy, under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, has been holding Taiwan Excellent PV Award annually, with evaluation criteria much more rigorous than IEC standards, plus special environmental testing, to accommodate Taiwan's special conditions, with brief introduction to its criteria listed below:
|
Item |
Explanation for testing item |
Suitable environment |
|
Salt Mist Corrosion Severity 6 |
Salt and mist corrosion may reduce mechanical strength and cause short circuit of electric wires in junction box on the back of modules |
Salty wetland, site for floating PV power system |
|
TC 600 (heat cycle test) |
Measurement for module fatigue or thermal failure amid chronic high-temperature and high-humidity environment |
Dry environment with larger temperature fluctuation |
|
DH3000 (humid heat test)
|
Testing of module's sealing and anti-aqueous vapor capacity in a chronic high-temperature and high-humidity environment
|
High-temperature, high-humidity environment |
|
DML-TC50-HF 10 (compound dynamic mechanical test)
|
Occurrence of welding-point fatigue or not for module, due to stress caused by overheating and power loss of not, due to crack or corrosion of PV cell caused by entry of water
|
Any environment
|
|
PID (potential induced degradation) test
|
Malfunction of PV power station, due to module damage caused by potential difference, resulting from intensive negative voltage between PV module and ground surface
|
Any environment
|
Winners of 2018 Taiwan Excellent PV Award include Neo Solar Power (renamed United Renewable Energy now), AU Optronics, and TSEC. For lists of past winners, access website of the award at https://www.tepv.org.tw.
(First photo courtesy of JR via Flickr CC BY 2.0)