Solar America Board for Codes and Standards Releases Addendum Report on Corrosion Testing of PV Module Grounding Components

Las Cruces, NM – June 12, 2013 – Today, the Solar America Board for Codes and Standards (Solar ABCs) has released a report, "Photovoltaic Module Grounding: Addendum Report on Corrosion Testing," which completes a two-part study addressing the electrical grounding of photovoltaic (PV) modules.

This addendum provides updated information related to corrosion testing of electrical grounding components and connections used in PV arrays. It focuses on the parts and components that have not been adequately tested for resistance to corrosion, the lack of adequate or appropriate test requirements in the module or component certification standards, and concludes with recommendations to improve the test requirements for assessing corrosion resistance.

The Solar ABCs "Lay of the Land" report was the first report on this topic, which described the many issues facing industry stakeholders. The final report "Issues and Recommendations" documented guidelines, safety considerations, and recommended changes to existing codes and standards was published in April 2012.

The 2012 report also addressed issues related to corrosion testing of PV module ground connections, and noted the need for subsequent updates given the level of activity occurring at the time of publication. This subject is an ongoing concern, and the industry has work to do to resolve issues of component reliability and certification. Newly published International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards provide a good model for improving certification tests, and generalized findings from recent Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification tests offer valuable direction and guidelines for product manufacturers and designers.

Among the key recommendations in the current report are that stakeholders review of the newly published salt-mist test procedures in International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 61701 and the test procedures intended to address modules operating in highly corrosive wet atmospheres near agricultural or other industrial facilities published in IEC 62716 ("Ammonia corrosion testing of photovoltaic modules"). The report includes information and lessons learned from ongoing UL 2703 certification testing of module grounding components.

"Information and practices will continue to evolve as manufacturers, test labs, and other stakeholders refine accelerated testing procedures," said Larry Sherwood, Solar ABCs Project Administrator, "The objective of the overall grounding PV module study is to make recommendations for an integrated set of tests and procedures that can be incorporated into the standards governing the grounding of PV components."

Download the full report: www.solarabcs.org/grounding

About Solar ABCs
The Solar ABCs is a collaborative effort among experts to formally gather and prioritize input from the broad spectrum of solar photovoltaic stakeholders including policy makers, manufacturers, installers, and consumers resulting in coordinated recommendations to codes and standards making bodies for existing and new solar technologies. The U.S. Department of Energy funds Solar ABCs as part of its commitment to facilitate widespread adoption of safe, reliable and cost-effective solar technologies. For more information, visit www.solarabcs.org.

For more information contact Larry Sherwood, 303-413-8028, larry@sherwoodassociates.com.

XXX