Standards Development

Scope

This document is intended to supplement the testing defined in IEC TS 63209 -1 and IEC TS 63209-2, which is an extendedcoupled-stress test protocol for evaluating quantitatively the long -term reliability of photovoltaic (PV) modules. IEC TS 63209-2 was developed as a materials coupon testing method, to address the main limitations of IEC TC 63209-1 in terms of long-term ultra-violet light (UV) stress, better addressing known failure modes which require long exposure duration such as encapsulant discoloration , front side delamination, etc.

IEC TS 63209-3This proposal provides a standardized method for combined accelerated stress test of (PV) modules and mini-modules, further supplementing the existing UV sequential testing of IEC TS 63209 -1 and IEC TS 63209-2 with a faster multi-stress screening test sequence. The included test sequence in this specification relies on the same scientific knowledge basis as the existing standards in this series, further combining UV stress with humid heat, thermal cycling and freeze -thaw cycling stress profiles derived from the actual service environment, more realistically simulating combined stresses as observed in outdoor real applications. The sequence is intended for testing either PV modules or materials coupons with different bills of materials (BOMs), including but not limited to backsheet, encapsulation films, junction boxes and connectors.

This technical specification covers specific procedures, test equipment requirements as well as test conditions necessary to conduct combined accelerated stress test with high reproducibility. Given the highly accelerated nature of the testing method, this specification is not intended to provide a service -lifetime evaluation method.

Purpose

This standard is applicable to the reliability screening test of materials used for photovoltaic components, including backplane, packaging film, junction box connector and other materials, and IEC63209 -1 TS sequence 3 using the same idea, superposition UV factor in humid heat, thermal cycle, wet freezing under each test condition. More realistic simulation of outdoor humidity, temperature, UV, thermal stress and other common stress factors.