Conformity - November 2008 - (Page 48) test is required by the standard to verify electrical connection, this requires a 10A Ground Continuity test. Hipot (Dielectric Withstand) testing is performed with test conditions of (1000V + 2 x max voltage) DC. The voltage shall be ramped up from 0V to required value within five seconds and held for one minute, with leakage current not exceeding 50uA. The reason for ramping up the voltage is to prevent false failures due to capacitive in-rush current. For modules that have a system voltage of less than 30VDC, the test voltage is 500VDC. The voltage is to be applied between all current-carrying parts and all accessible parts. The tests are to be performed on samples after humidity, temperature, water spray and corrosive atmosphere tests have been performed. Production testing for Dielectric Withstand is required under the same conditions as above; test time can be reduced to one second if voltage is increased by 120%. A module or panel with a system voltage rating of 30V or less is not required to be tested. Wet Insulation Resistance testing is carried out by immersing the panel into a solution for two minutes. The insulation resistance is then measured between the shorted output terminals of the module and the solution. This test is intended to verify that the solar panel or the solar cell array has insulation high enough to reduce the possibility of fire and electrocution hazards, even when the module is wet. Insulation Resistance testing is performed using a test voltage of 500 VDC. The minimum resistance is 400 Mohms for a module having an area of 0.1m2 or less. Larger modules are required to have the measured resistance times the area of the module greater than 40 Mohms*m2. IEC 61215 2nd Ed. - 2005 The specific standard for crystalline silicon modules is IEC 61215. This standard requires the safety tests similar to the base standards. Insulation Resistance Test or Withstand Voltage Test Withstand Voltage testing is carried out by shorting a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the solar panel or a solar panel array, and then applying a predetermined voltage between the live electrical section and the outer housing (which refers to the bottom surface reinforcement member, the frame, and ground terminals). This test is intended to verify that the product (the solar panel and the solar panel array) is free from any dielectric breakdown attributed to aging of insulation. As for a test method and test apparatus for Withstand Voltage testing, it is important to apply a direct current across test terminals of an object to be tested. Withstand Voltage testing is performed with test conditions of (1000V + 2 x max voltage) DC. The voltage shall be increased from 0V to the required value within five seconds and held for one minute with leakage current not exceeding 50uA. Production testing for Dielectric Withstand is required under the same conditions as above, or test time can be reduced to one second if voltage is increased by 120%. Wet Leakage Current Test or Insulation Resistance Test Insulation Resistance testing is carried out by shorting a positive terminal and a negative terminal of a solar panel or a solar panel array, and then by applying a predetermined voltage between the live electrical section and the outer housing (which refers to the bottom surface reinforcement member, the frame, and ground terminals). This test verifies that the solar panel or the solar cell array has insulation high enough to reduce the possibility of fire and electrocution hazards. There are no other particular requirements on the test method and test apparatus. Preferably, the test apparatus includes the function of discharging a charge accumulated during the resistance test of the insulation resistance having a capacitive component. The insulation resistance test is performed using test conditions of an application voltage of 500 V for Figure 4: Leakage Current Test 8 Conformity november 2008
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.