CENER is accredited by the Spanish National Accreditation Entity (ENAC) and also by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for testing PV modules according to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. The accreditation scope covers IEC standards for all PV technologies: IEC-61215-1(all subparts), IEC61215-2, IEC-61730-(1&2) , IEC-62108, IECTS60804-1 (PID) and IEC TS 60904-13 (EL). CENER is member of the IEC System for Conformity Assessment (IECEE Scheme) as Certification Body Testing Laboratory (CBTL) for PV modules. Equipment available are: flash solar simulator, continuous solar simulator, and climatic chambers. CENER has also the possibility of testing PV modules in outdoor conditions in Sarriguren and in Almeria when high dose and continuous radiation is required.
In addition, as a member of IEC’s technical committee, TC-82, CENER participates actively in normalization tasks included in working groups, WG-2 - Modules non-concentrating, WG-7 Concentrating PV modules, WG-3 systems and WG-8 Photovoltaic (PV) cells. Based on CENER’s normalization and certification knowledge, a set of good practices in characterizing solar photovoltaic devices based on organic and perovskites materials in relation with current available standards have been developed.
Apart from all the tests included in those standards and taking advantage of the experience gained through their application in many products of different technologies, degradation protocols based on accelerating aging tests ISOS (ISOS-D, ISOS-O, ISOS-L, ISOS-T and ISOS-LT) from Basic (level 1) to Advanced (level 3) combining humidity – temperature and radiation in climatic chambers and outdoor test can be implemented in order to study the degradation factors for emerging PV technologies. All the equipment, tests and activities performed in the PV Module testing Lab of CENER are following requirements of ISO-17025 concerning calibration and operations.
IEC Accredited PV Module testing Lab - development and application of specific protocols for characterization of photovoltaic devices based on organic or perovskites materials. New measurement proposals will be done as a modification of current available standards for mature technologies or directly custom made for accomplishing visiting researcher needs.
Equipment available for testing PV devices from individual cells up to 2mx2m modules are: flash solar simulator (Xenon and LED), continuous solar simulator, climatic chambers, UV weathering, combined temperature irradiation and humidity tests, hail impact, mechanical load, impulse voltage, Electroluminescence, Lock-in thermography, salt mist corrosion, EVA cross linking analysis, peel-off tests, optical characterization and spectral response. All the climatic tests can be performed at specific biasing conditions by adjusting the operating intensity/voltage through dedicated electronic power supplies. CENER has also the possibility of testing PV modules under real sun at outdoor facilities. The experimental PV field comprises several positions available for research purposes which includes fixed racks and trackers. The energy produced and other parameters of the investigated PV devices are continuously monitored using maximum power optimizers (MPPT ´s) at module level.
Apart from all the tests included in those standards and taking advantage of the experience gained through their application in many products of different technologies, degradation protocols based on accelerating aging tests ISOS (ISOS-D, ISOS-O, ISOS-L, ISOS-T and ISOS-LT) from Basic (level 1) to Advanced (level 3) combining humidity – temperature and radiation in climatic chambers and outdoor test can be implemented in order to study the degradation factors for new developments and emerging PV technologies.
The accreditation scope according to “ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories” covers IEC standards for all PV technologies: IEC-61215-1(all subparts), IEC61215-2, IEC-61730-(1&2), IEC-62108, IECTS60804-1 (PID) and IEC TS 60904-13 (EL) and quality methodology is applied also to development activities.
Figure 1 Continuous sun simulator (up). Characterization of PV devices (down)
Figure 2 Stability testing of a PK device inside the climatic chamber (left) and spectral response equipment (right)
Quality of scientific environment and user access: Technicians and researchers are used to R&D and very supportive. CENER´s ISO-17025 qualification requires service evaluation