UV Preconditioning Test: set up and purpose

The UV preconditioning test is a test procedure to evaluate the impact degree of ultraviolet degradation of solar panels.

UV Preconditioning Test: set up

UV preconditioning is an irradiance test used to find out to which extend solar panels are susceptible to ultraviolet (UV) degradation and consequently performance losses. This extreme condition test, which is mostly applied during solar panel certification and research, is usually performed before the thermal cycle and humidity freeze tests. The UV preconditioning test is performed at a temperature of 60°C ±5°C, while subjected to UV irradiation (UVB and UVA+AVB). [caption id="attachment_2614" align="aligncenter" width="600"] UV Preconditioning Test Chamber[/caption]  

What problems can be found through UV preconditioning testing?

For traditional solar panels it's typically the EVA layers that are most affected by UV irradiation. Problems that can be identified after the UV preconditioning test:

1. Delamination
2. Encapsulant discoloration