Centrosolar customers can rely on decades of solar yields, without having to put up with reductions in performance: TÜV Rheinland has certified that the modules produced by the Hamburg-based company are resistant to voltage-related performance degradation. This effect, which is referred to as PID (potential induced degradation), is one of the main causes of reduced performance of photovoltaic modules over the course of their life cycle.
Centrosolar commissioned the acclaimed testing institute TÜV Rheinland to perform the analysis. During this test, the modules are subjected to a negative voltage of 1,000 volts for seven days at room temperature. The test qualifies as passed once the performance of the modules is reduced by no more than five per cent. The Centrosolar modules that were tested at fluctuating temperatures for an additional seven days exhibited the following results: Performance is reduced by less than one per cent. The test confirms that the performance of modules produced by Centrosolar at its factory Sonnenstromfabrik remains more or less consistent over decades. “The outstanding results of the PID test are just another indication of the high quality of our modules. We examine cells and modules in our production facility according to the same standards as TÜV. We only deliver systems that are guaranteed to be PID-free,” explains Dr Johannes Kneip, Managing Director of Centrosolar AG.
The phenomenon of voltage-related performance degradation has become an important topic in recent months. Under unfavourable conditions, power leaks can develop at the transition point from the module and the frame, and this can result in short circuits that lead to decreased system performance. Four independent testing institutes, including TÜV Rheinland, have developed a testing process that enables the PID sensitivity of crystalline PV modules to be measured. Centrosolar is one of the first German solar companies that has already carried out this test and passed it successfully.