Canadian Solar Inc. (the "Company", "we" or "Canadian Solar") (NASDAQ: CSIQ), one of the world's largest solar companies, announced that its solar modules passed the most stringent salt spray corrosion test — IEC61701 Ed2 (salt mist corrosion testing) and IEC60068-2-52 Ed.2 (Severity 1, Environmental testing) standards adopted in 2011. Canadian Solar was granted certification by TUV NORD CERT GmbH, based in Germany. The certification covers 33 of the Company's products, with outputs ranging from 13W to 305W. These latest tests are in addition to the Ammonia Test, another voluntary test the Company's solar modules passed in March 2011.
Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar, said, "Despite the highly rigid standards, Canadian Solar submitted to the voluntary stringent salt spray test given our confidence in the quality, performance and durability of our solar modules. This latest certification further validates the premium quality of Canadian Solar's modules even under very adverse weather and environment conditions. This is a competitive differentiator, allowing Canadian Solar to install systems within seaside areas, providing a much needed solution customers in coastal regions, including Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand, among others. We will continue to leverage our state-of-the-art PV testing lab as we work to safeguard the high-quality our solar modules have become known for worldwide over the past 10 years."
This Salt Mist Corrosion test is intended for application to components or equipment designed to withstand a salt-laden atmosphere. Salt can degrade the performance of parts manufactured using metallic and/or non-metallic materials. According to IEC60068-2-52: Severity 1 is intended to be used for testing products which are used in a marine environment, or in close proximity to the sea and exposed to the environment for much of their operational life (i.e., ship radar, deck equipment). Severity 1 is commonly used as a general corrosion test in component quality assurance procedures.
The Severity 1 corrosion test lasts 28 days with four testing cycles. During each cycle modules are sprayed for 2 hours with a 5% Sodium Chloride Solution. The modules are then stored for 7 days at 35 degrees Celsius and a humidity level of 85 percent. This procedure is repeated four times in each successive test cycle. The accelerated laboratory corrosion test simulates the effects of salt-laden atmospheres during the entire life of the solar modules.