Winaico had previously sent several solar modules to the ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute), where they were put through their paces for months. They were subjected to more than 10 quality and reliability tests over and above international IEC standards. According to Winaico, an efficiency of more than 95 % was always achieved.
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To encourage local manufacturers to perform at their best and to cope with the temperature, humidity and typhoon conditions on the Taiwanese islands, the Taiwan Excellent PV Award has actually tripled the international IEC requirements for the testing and inspection of participating products.
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This means that 3000 hours of testing were required for the Damp Heat Test, which mimics the effects of tropical climates on solar modules. For the Thermal Cycling Test, 600 laps were estimated. This illustrates how the solar modules could react to fluctuations in the outside temperature. In the salt spray corrosion test, severity level 8 was used to simulate the rusting effect of sea salt on the frame. (mfo)
