A new Trina Solar-led national standard of "Test method for determining vinyl acetate (VA) content of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer applied in photovoltaic modules - Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)" (EVA-TGA) has been officially published by the Standardization Administration of China (SAC), signifying Trina's continued efforts to create general standards across the PV industry.
TGA measures the relationship between the quality and the temperature when the testing material is subject to temperature changes. Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) is hot-melt adhesive film, an essential component that is used in the manufacturing of solar modules to encapsulate the PV cells to ensure insulation and transparency.
Over the past years, a major problem with sourcing EVA has been the lack of a standardized, fast, and environmentally friendly test method for detecting the VA content to ensure the quality of EVA, which is a key element in producing reliable and weather-resistant modules with long service life. To address this issue, Trina Solar proposed the EVA-TGA to the SAC in 2012 and entered the project initialization stage subsequently. After going through a lengthy process, which included forming a working group, drafting the standard, discussion and analysis, comparison tests, and seeking inputs and comments, the standard successfully passed the review, and was approved to be published by both the SAC and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China.
"With the introduction of this new EVA-TGA standard, testing the VA content of EVA across the PV industry in China should become more streamlined and efficient, and it will provide a solid evaluation basis for ensuring EVA film quality,” said Mr. Jifan Gao, Chairman and CEO of Trina Solar. “We are confident that this new standard will bring concrete improvements to the industry, and as the global leader in solar energy solutions, we will continue to spearhead initiatives to grow and improve the sector in the future."