Top grade for SOLON: the SOLON Blue 230/07 solar module was awarded the best grade “very good” in the PV+Test by TÜV Rheinland and Solarpraxis. It reached 94.3 points from a possible 100 and thereby got the highest score of all tested modules so far. With this SOLON once again has proven its high quality standard.
A solar energy system is a very durable product that achieves stable yields for 25 years and beyond. However, in light of the growing number of suppliers, consumers have a difficult time recognizing which product can actually meet its promises concerning quality. The existing certification standards only reflect the minimum requirements and do not suffice as a comprehensive seal of quality. The experts from TÜV Rheinland and Solarpraxis AG therefore developed an independent quality seal according to the highest standards. This new, continuously advanced module test assesses the products according to their performance criteria as well as their resistance to ageing, electrical safety, processing, quality of the accompanying documentation and the warranty conditions as well as the ease of installation.
The PV modules tested were purchased anonymously on the market to reduce the risk of manipulation. Up until now, products from ten different manufacturers have been tested. The test results showed that the SOLON modules deliver considerably more power than specified and have excellent low light performance. As a result, they also achieve high yields on cloudy days. In addition, they impress with their exceptionally high resistance to ageing, which was tested by significantly extended climate chamber tests. Their mechanical stability also received the highest grades.
“SOLON modules stand for durability, quality and maximum yields. To make sure our customers are thoroughly satisfied, we constantly test and optimize our products. The excellent result once again confirms our quality strategy,” said Dr. Lars Podlowski, Chief Technical Officer of SOLON. The stress tests that SOLON subjects its modules to in their in-house test center are significantly harder as prescribed by the German Technical Control Board (TÜV). All solar modules are also delivered according to the “plus sorting” principle: this means that SOLON only tolerates positive deviations, namely up to 4.99 Wp, from the module’s rated power. This is why SOLON customers can be certain that SOLON modules at the very least achieve their rated power, but generally even more.
Detailed test results will be published in the trade press journals “Photovoltaics 10/2011″ and “pv magazine 11/2011″.
