Ana-Rosa-LagunasEilat-CENER_CPV-2010
CPV QUALIFICATION
TESTS
Dra. Ana Rosa Lagunas
Director, Photovoltaic Energy Department
Eilat-Eilot 2010
International Renewable Energy Conference & Exhibition
OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION TO IEC62108 STANDARD
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CPV REPRESENTATIVE
SAMPLES
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TESTS
IN-LAB TESTS/ON-SITE TESTS
CENER EXPERIENCES IN CPV TESTING
National Renewable Energy Centre
(CENER)
Photovoltaic Department: areas of activity
23 motivated people, Ph.D′s, Engineers, Scientists and Technicians
Photovoltaic Systems:
Photovoltaic Installations:
Solar resource evaluation
Due diligence of PV installations
Technical Assessment and design of PV installations
PV inverters characterization
LEMF: Photovoltaic modules test laboratory
Accredited by ENAC and CBTL (Certification Body Test Laboratory) within the IECEE scheme for the realization of certification tests
PV modules test in agreement with IEC standards
?IEC-61215 for crystalline Silicon modules
?IEC-61646 for thin film modules
?IEC-62108 for concentration PV modules
?IEC-61730 safety tests
Photovoltaic Department: areas of activity
Photovoltaic Cells:
Laboratory for characterization of PV Cells
Electrical optical and structural evaluation of materials
Complete in depth characterization of PV cells
Technical assessment for production process evaluation
Laboratory for technologies and production processes for PV Cells Production processes critical parameters analysis
Diagnostic of areas of process improvement
Technical assessment and due diligence for PV cells production plants New technology approaches
CPV Qualification Tests
IEC-62108 standard
CPV Latest Developments in Commercialization
and implementation
IEC 62108 STANDARD
As the other PV technologies, specifically for concentrator PV
modules, normalization is required in order to lay down minimum requirements that must fulfill the products regarding two main issues:
Performance reliability
Safety
IEC 62108 ed.1.0
“CONCENTRATOR PHOTOVOLTAIC (CPV) MODULES AND ASSEMBLIES -DESIGN QUALIFICATION AND TYPE APPROVAL”
publication date: December 2007 Short application time
Purpose: To determine electrical, mechanical and thermal
characteristics of CPV modules and to probe their capability to
withstand prolonged exposure in general open-air climates
Partially based on the well experimented flat-plate terrestrial crystalline PV modules (IEC 61215)
Diagnostic tests
Accelerated aging tests
Diagnostic tests
INTRODUCTION TO IEC 62108 STANDARD (I)
IEC 62108 standard began with a draft based on IEEE 1513:2001 which was developed by representatives of U.S manufacturers, users and evaluators of CPV technology and engineers from
government laboratories.
IEEE 1513 is more adapted for refractive optics with high
efficiency crystalline silicon cells
In 2002 started the process to launch a new concentrator
standard with international validity. The IEC working group
consisted of international representatives from companies, utilities and research organizations around de world.
FIVE YEARS LATER THE STANDARD IS PUBLISHED.
INTRODUCTION TO IEC 62108 STANDARD (II)
The scope only covers performance reliability for CPV modules or assemblies. Under preparation standards focused on:
Performance and Rating
Safety Adapting IEC 61730?
Tracking
Indoor and outdoor measurements
IEC 62108 amendments to take into account feedback from ed.1 application (expected 2010).
INTRODUCTION TO IEC 62108 STANDARD (III)
There is a wide variety of CPV modules or assemblies
Type I:
Point Focus on a Single Solar Cell
Type II:
Large Area Point Focus Systems.
Type III:
Linear Systems.
Type IV:
Static Systems.
Type V:
Compact Mini Point Focus Systems.
For every “Type”, the concentration standard identifies 2 items to be tested:
Receivers: the part that receives concentrated light from primary optics
Modules/assemblies: the whole system
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CPV (I)
Silicon III-V 15
Point focus Type:
Size: 215 m 2
Power: 25 kW
Tracking: two
axis
Large Area Point Focus:
Size: 14 m diameter,
135 m 2
Power: 24 kW
Tracking: two
axis
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CPV (III)
Linear-focus Parabolic Trough:
Size: 84 meters long and
250 m 2of aperture (138
modules and 140 mirrors)
Power: 34 kW
Tracking: one
axis
Linear-focus Fresnel Lens:
Size: 0.9 m wide, 3.7 m
long, and 0.9 m high
Power: 430 W
Tracking: one
axis
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CPV (IV)
Mini point focus:
RXI:
Size: 1m x 0.3m module
Xg=1000
Small lens systems:
Size: 620 x 420 x 80 mm3
Xg=385
150 cell per module
Reflective optics:
Size: 124 x 108 x 10 cm3
Xg=500
Power: 205 W.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CPV (V)
If the module or assembly is too large to be handled, a smaller
representative sample may be used.
Representative samples should include:
All components, except some repeated parts.
If possible should use sub-modules, sub-receivers, sub-assemblies The cell string should include at least two by-pass diodes, no less than ten cells.
The encapsulation, interconnects, terminations and the clearance
distance around edges should be the same as on full-size.
Other components as lens/housing joints, receivers/housing joints,
and end plate/lens should also be included and tested.
A full-size module or assembly should be tested for outdoor test
CONCEPTS OF CPV. REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLES
Depending on the “type”of the product, different number of samples are required for the test:
For the most common types:
7 modules
2 receivers
1 receiver for the bypass blocking diode thermal test
SAMPLING
Visual inspection:
to identify baseline of the samples received and any physical changes or defects in module assembly construction after the completion of each test
Defects susceptible to evolve to become a failure are
photographed to be followed through all the different aging steps
A defect might become a “mayor visual defect”and cause the failure of the test
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS (I)
Electrical performance measurement : to identify electrical performance degradation on test samples caused by the tests
The focus of this test is on the power degradation, not on the power output, which will be covered in a separate power and energy-rating standard
Repeatability of the measurement is the most important factor Outdoor side by side I–V measurement: based on side by side measurement of the control sample and the specimen under evaluation, both in exactly same conditions
Sample′s relative power is defined Pr = Pm/Pmc
Relative power degradation (before and after test) should be less than 13%
Control sample keeps stable for the duration of the test
Solar simulator I-V measurement
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS (II)
Dark I-V measurement: compares the sample′s series
resistances measured before and after the tests
Good method to monitor power degradation of samples in intermediate steps
Used to monitor stability of the control samples
Initial measurement serves as a reference for later dark I-V′s
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS (II)