Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a global leader in safety testing and certification, announced on September 9th the opening of a testing and certification facility for photovoltaic (PV) equipment in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. In addition to offering performance and safety testing services for PV equipment in Japan, the facility will provide technical support to Japanese PV equipment manufacturers as they develop their businesses and enter overseas markets.

The global demand for sustainable energy generating sources, such as PV systems, has increased. The governments of the U.S. and Japan, as well as market-leading Germany, continue to take proactive steps to develop the PV market and accelerate PV equipment production. In Japan the government’s road-map for reaching greenhouse gas reduction targets includes a national policy to expand the reach of PV power generation to 10 million households by 2020, which constitutes a 21-fold increase compared with 2005.

PV systems, which consist of PV modules and panels, junction boxes, inverters and power converters, are permanently installed on roofs or ground-supported frames and thus are prone to degradation due to wind, rain, hail, as well as age. Accordingly, improving the safety and verifying performance of PV systems is critical for them to receive widespread adoption.

UL has been engaged in formulating PV equipment safety specifications and standards since the 1980s, and has contributed to the safe operation of PV equipment by providing safety testing and certification services for PV equipment manufacturers worldwide. “We continue to expand our service capabilities to meet the recent increase in global demand for PV product evaluation services,” said Jeff Smidt, Vice President and General Manager for UL’s Global Energy business. Just within the last couple of years, UL has opened PV testing facilities similar to the new Ise City facility, in San Jose, California, U.S.; Suzhou, China; and Zeppelinheim, Neu-Isenburg, Germany. “With further plans to open a testing facility in India, UL is implementing a concrete, large-scale investment plan in North America, Asia, and Europe, which are the world’s largest PV markets,” Smidt added.

The new PV testing facility in Ise City has 14 cutting-edge testing chambers on a 2,000 square-meter (approx. 21,000 square-feet) site. It is fully equipped with solar simulators emitting artificial sunlight, impact testers (which test the durability of a device against physical impact) and hail testers. Moreover, to meet strict testing requirements, the facility is staffed by engineers and technicians with expert knowledge of PV testing work. (source ul.com)

UL is the trusted resource across the globe for product safety certification and compliance solutions. Benefiting a range of customers – from manufacturers and consumers to regulatory bodies and code officials – they have tested products for public safety for more than a century.

The company has set up India’s first and South Asia’s largest PV laboratory at Electronic city in Bangalore which was formally inaugurated today.

Seventh in TÜV Rhineland’s global network of solar testing labs spread across Germany, China, Taiwan, Japan(2) and the US, the new state-of-the-art laboratory addresses a key challenge faced by the Indian solar/PV industry – lack of access to large scale, worldclass test facility. The new PV lab and test center is spread over 20,000 sq. feet including an outside test field of 5,000 square feet, five climate chambers and two sun simulators. Investment in the new lab/test center is close to $3million.

According to a third party research firm, 70% of all solar module manufacturers worldwide have their products tested at TÜV Rheinland laboratory making it the undisputed world leader in independent safety and quality testing for solar modules. Friedrich Hecker, CEO, TÜV Rheinland AG, said: “With the ambitious Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission being operationalized, India is poised to take a huge leap in solar/PV. Module manufacturing, a key component of the chain, is largely domestically manufactured and offers a great export potential as well.

“The setting up of the PV lab by us today in Bangalore not only addresses the lack of such a facility in India but actually enables Indian module manufacturers to eye markets beyond India. India has always been a key strategic market for the group and all our different business units and this marks another step forward in that commitment.”

Andreas Höfer chief regional officer, TÜV Rheinland (India, Middle East and Africa), said: ”One of the key components of a healthy solar/PC industry is domestic consumption. With abundant sunshine and high quality of radiation levels combined with focus on both grid and off grid applications, there is every possibility that India will be the market to watch out for in the region. We see a lot of overseas players investing here and setting up facilities or licensing technology for local players to manufacture with. In that way, both our entry and the setting up of this lab is timed well.”

Enrico Rühle, MD, TÜV Rheinland India, added: ”The Indian PV lab will be tightly interlinked to the other six laboratories across the world and will employ over 200 experts across functions. The lab which has facilities unheard of in the region like climate chambers and sun simulators will reduce the time for testing for Indian manufacturers. The new facility is capable of meeting all the testing and certification requirements of the local industry. Reliability is also a big issue with regard to the modules which need to bear the environment for 25 years and perform accordingly. All the reliability, accelerated life and long term tests can be done at our new lab.”

TÜV Rheinland first started laboratory scale technical testing of solar components in 1995. The specialists at TÜV Rheinland are involved in testing modules and components, developing new test methods, collaborating on R&D projects for the use of solar energy and assisting customers worldwide with the construction of solar power plants. All laboratories have been launched or upgraded in the last two years and comply with the latest technical standards.  (source www.thehindu.com)

From the TUV Rhineland “FAQ and Histoy” Page:

How did TUV originate?
In 1872 Gustav Schlieper established the DUV (Dampfkessel Uberwachungs Verein or Steam-boiler Testing Laboratory) the founding organization of all TUVs. The DUV was otherwise known as the “Association for the Surveillance of Boilers” in the counties of Elberfeld and Barmen. At this time, there had been a number of devastating steam-boiler explosions, resulting in many injuries and casualties, as well as factory closures. In Prussia, new thought was emerging that the state should protect its citizens from dangerous facilities. The Industrial Code was created giving the DUV the right to assume certain inspection tasks on the government’s behalf. Over time, the DUV developed into the broader designation “TUV”.

What does TUV stand for?
TUV is a German acronym for Technischer Uberwachungs-Verein. In English it means Technical Surveillance Association.

Solar Panels at NASA's Kennedy Space Center

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A newly constructed solar power facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., officially is providing electricity to Florida homes. NASA, Florida Power & Light, or FPL, and political leaders commissioned FPL’s Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center on Thursday.

The 10-megawatt solar plant was built by FPL, Florida’s largest utility. It will feed FPL’s electric grid, generating energy for more than 1,000 homes and reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 227,000 tons.

FPL built a separate 1-megawatt solar power facility at Kennedy as part of this unique public-private partnership between NASA and FPL. That facility has been supplying the space center with electricity since late 2009.

“NASA is a pioneer in the use of solar power for space exploration, so it’s fitting that we’re working with FPL to expand the use and R&D of that renewable energy source at Kennedy where many of those missions were launched,” said Bob Cabana, director of the Kennedy Space Center. “This type of commercial partnership with NASA helps provide Florida residents, and America’s space program, with new sources of green power that reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and improve the environment.”

“Florida is poised to be a leader in America’s growing clean-energy economy, which naturally includes solar power,” said Rep. Suzanne Kosmas of Florida. “Bringing new clean-energy jobs to our communities is one of my top priorities. This joint effort between NASA and FPL is an example of how we can create jobs while investing in common-sense solutions to the economic, environmental and national security challenges we face today.”

The 10-megawatt facility features approximately 35,000 highly efficient solar photovoltaic panels from SunPower Corporation on 60 acres at Kennedy. The panels are 50 percent more efficient than conventional solar panels.

“Like NASA, FPL is looking beyond the horizon. FPL’s Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center is an important part of our state’s clean-energy future, but large-scale solar projects like this one also have a very positive impact on the economy today,” said FPL President and CEO Armando J. Olivera. “Projects like this and our Next Generation Solar Energy Centers in Martin and DeSoto give Florida the opportunity to create and attract clean-energy jobs and produce millions of dollars in new revenue for local governments while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting the effects of climate change at the same time.”

Plans also are being discussed to expand the 10-megawatt facility’s generating capacity to 100-megawatts at another Kennedy location. This expansion of the solar facilities is contingent on regulatory support and the passage of renewable energy legislation at the state level. If proven environmentally and economically feasible, an expansive field of photovoltaic solar panels will be constructed in phases on 500 or more acres of fallow Kennedy agricultural land and integrated into the utility’s grid. A dedicated research and development facility to support continual improvement of solar renewable energy also would be established by SunPower and FPL’s other partners at Kennedy’s upcoming business complex, Exploration Park.

The proposed projects are being pursued under a five-year Memorandum of Understanding entered into by Kennedy and FPL in 2007 to promote jointly developed projects in renewable technologies.

(source www.nasa.gov)

For more information about NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy

Lake Mary, FL., March 31, 2010 – BlueChip Energy, a provider of complete solar energy solutions for residential, commercial, government and utility applications, today announced a power purchase agreement to supply Progress Energy Florida with renewable solar photovoltaic (PV) power from the Rinehart Solar Farm, a 10 MW utility-scale solar PV facility the company is developing in Central Florida.

The Rinehart Solar Farm project, located in Lake Mary, Fla., will have a total capacity of 10 megawatts (MW) and an annual generation of approximately 15,000,000 kilowatt-hours. This is equivalent to the annual energy use of roughly 1,100 area homes. It will be the largest solar photovoltaic project in Central Florida.  It will cover a portion of the 380,000 square foot rooftop space and surrounding acreage of BlueChip Energy’s Lake Mary facility.

As a renewable energy project, the Rinehart Solar Farm will stimulate the local economy by creating an estimated 100 high-paying, high-skilled green jobs while building local expertise in solar energy.  “We expect the Rinehart Solar Farm to serve as a model in the state of Florida for large-scale, alternative-energy projects” commented Lawrence Hefler, Director of Corporate Marketing for BlueChip Energy.

The solar farm will be built in stages, starting with a roof top plant totaling 120 kilowatts (kW).  It is currently in the pre-construction planning phase and expected to be completed by the end of July, 2010.  Stage two is a roof top plant consisting of 500 kW.  Subsequent stages will consist of a third, 1.4 MW rooftop system and 8 MW of ground-based systems. Construction of the entire facility is expected to be completed by October 2010.  BCE will build the plant using mono- and poly-crystalline solar PV modules and providing its own project development, engineering, procurement, and construction capabilities.   The 10 MW of power generated from the plant will displace over 9,200 metric tons of CO2 per year, the equivalent of taking nearly 1,700 cars off the road. (source www.bluechipenergy.org)

A realistic performance check can be done in the field under actual environments conditions where Radiance and Temperature are constantly changing. In this way real time data of the actual output watts of the solar array can be collected and used to determine performance acceptability based on predetermined criterion.

Because environmental conditions can change quickly, fast and synchronized sampling of V-I characteristics is essential for meaningful data collection. Described in this article are methods of how this can be achieved.

Also monitoring the array performance in real-time can be an effective way to maximize peak output power performance. The real time data can be used to calculate the maximum power point (MPP, from the I-V curves) at present conditions and used to affect panel loading for peak power performance by a smart grid inverter.

Considerations for system measurement hardware will depend on array size and data requirement definitions.

The Typical Installation

The Monitoring System can be attached to a typical solar installation through a Quick Disconnect Junction Box (fig-1) allowing Monitoring Equipment to remain mobile for testing at other installations. The junction box connections to the array need to include pairs of voltage sense lines for each panel and a pair of power conductors in series with each string to allow remote connection to the programmable electronic load. This is needed to allow the retrieval of unique I-V data for each panel. Voltage sense line connections provide Kelvin measuring points to obtain a more accurate performance measurement of the individual panels. Planning for these connections during array design would be desirable but retrofitting arrays is not a difficult task.

The Array

A sample array defined for illustrative purposes is shown in fig-2.

A pair of power conductors appropriately sized for the maximum string current interrupts the connection of the string to the grid inverter bus. These conductors are routed to the monitoring system via the Quick Disconnect junction box. High Voltage power relays in the monitoring system are used in conjunction with bypass relays to take each string off-line, one string at a time, for the purpose of establishing performance characteristics of the string panels. Voltage sense lines for each P.V. panel are also routed to the junction box allowing data collection by the monitoring systems signal multiplexer. A place holder in the array (see fig-2, string 8a) can be used for data collection of a reference panel or used as an input for an external irradiance standard.

Test Plan and Approach

The test and monitoring plan will involve taking each PV string off-line one at a time with a power-mux and connect the string in series with a programmable electronic load. The programmable load is then stepped through a series of current measurement points from zero amps (Voc) through the max short circuit current (Isc) of the string while simultaneously taking data for V-out of each panel. Increasing the number of current measurement points increases the accuracy of determining the peak power point of each panel. This can be especially important during low light conditions. The I-V data taken under real-time conditions (ambient radiance and temperature) forms the basis from which to derive the real-time P-V curves for each panel in the string. Once the data for one string is completed it will be switched back on-line and the next string will be switch off-line and connected to the programmable load. This process is repeated until each string of the array has been characterized.

Once the I-V data has been stored and time stamped the P-V results can be extracted and displayed in an easily readable graphical format (see fig-4).

Hardware Configuration

Hardware selection will depend of array size and data desired. The monitoring system will need to measure, each PV panel voltage, each string current and the V & I from a reference panel or read the data from a solar radiance standard. (ref fig-1)

Basic Equipment List:

* -Computer (IPC)
* -Monitoring Software
* -Programmable DMMs and Functions Generators
* -Programmable Electronic Load
* -Programmable Power-Multiplexer and Signal-Multiplexer
* -Reference PV panel or Solar Radiance Standard
* -Sensor ports for Panel and Ambient Temperature
* -Modem or network interface, etc. (See fig-3)

To minimize equipment costs multiplexers for string current and panel voltage measurements are employed. Referring to the example array (fig-2) an eight channel power multiplexer is required to switch each string to the programmable load one at a time. Also a 32 channel differential multiplexer is required to measure the individual panel output voltages while under load.

Additional muxing channels would be required for temperature inputs and reference panels.

A Function generator, to drive the analog input of the load, for stair step generation could be used if the programmable load does not have built in stepping functions.

DMM’s connected through the signal muxes are used to measure panel output voltages. A precision shunt could be used for the string current if higher accuracies than the programmable load can provide are required.

Digital Outputs (Douts) control and timing is critical to the synchronized voltage and current data collection.

Consideration should be given for equipment selection to allow enough operating margin for worst case conditions. For instance normal operation voltages may be one value but open circuit voltage can be much higher especially at higher elevations, lower latitudes and in cooler climatic conditions. Consideration for conductor size is important as long routing paths will increase power losses due to current flow (I-R drops) and reduce overall array performance. Also power conductors and their return paths should be routed as parallel conductors thus keeping the array loop inductance at a minimum and improving system stability.

Configuration and Optimizing Data

Collection In optimizing hardware configuration is important to balance cost with accurate data collection and fast throughput.

It is important that I & V data of an individual panel be taken together (synchronously) since a change in radiance during data collection would give erroneous results. A scheme that achieves this is to take one string off line at a time and connect it to a programmable electronic load. Since serial communication tends to slow data collection down the Programmable Load will be used in the analog control mode (or internal programmable step mode) driven by a stair step function from zero load current through full load current while simultaneously taking panel Voltage data at each Load current step. The stair step current ramp is repeated until voltage data for each panel in the string has been collected. The program will step through each string in the array collecting a full compliment of I-V and Temperature data including the last string which may be connected to a standard panel or string used for data comparison.

The scheme described above should be expected to collect a complete set of data for each panel in the array in less than 4 seconds.

System Software can be a Versatile Tool

Software / Soft-panel Evaluation Features:

After collecting real time performance data the software can be used to analyze the data to check relative and absolute performance of the individual panels in the array strings by comparing:

* I. Array string performance to each other.
* II. String performance to a Standard Panel.
* III. String performance to Solar Radiance Detector.
* IV. Panel to Panel performance within a string or to standard.

Conclusion

A Measurement System of this type is key in analyzing true panel performance and accurate enough for comparative panel performance evaluation which may be of special interest when evaluating engineering prototype panels and new photovoltaic technologies. A Measurement System like this can be used at many different environmental sites due to its small size, flexibility and portability. In addition to panel performance, the information gathered with this system could be used to help predict and schedule maintenance and alert to required repairs so that the array can be kept at peak performance.  (source www.chromausa.com)

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