Centrosolar modules obtain best possible PID test results
TÜV Rheinland certifies the resistance of Centrosolar’s modules to voltage-related reductions in performance
Hamburg, Germany, 2 February 2012
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.
About Centrosolar
With locations in Hamburg, Paderborn and Kempten in the Allgäu, Centrosolar AG is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Munich-based Centrosolar Group AG. The Centrosolar Group is an international company with over 1,000 employees and annual sales of €300 million (2011 preliminary results). All of the subsidiaries offer products and solutions for converting solar energy into electricity. The product range includes photovoltaic (PV) systems, PV mounting systems, solar glass and project planning for multi-MW PV systems. The Centrosolar Group operates a module production facility in Wismar (annual capacity: 350 MWp) as well as a solar glass production facilities in Fürth, Germany and Huzhou, China (total capacity: 8 million m² glass). Further subsidiaries are located in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United States and Canada.
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Press contact:
CENTROSOLAR AG
Manuela Jakobi
Press officer
Otto-Stadler-Str. 23
33100 Paderborn
Germany
Phone: +49 5251 50050 0
Fax: +49 5251 50050 10
Internet: www.centrosolar.com
E-Mail: manuela.jakobi@centrosolar.com
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Head Office and Local Court: Hamburg / HRB 102375
Management Board: Dr. Josef Wrobel, Günther Wühr, Bernhard Pawlik, Ralf Klein, Dr. Johannes Kneip
Chairman of Supervisory Board: Dr. Axel Müller-Groeling
