Relationship between Acceleration Factor and Equivalent Lifetime of Solar Modules in Long-Term Reliability Testing

YoungHo Cho; WooJun Nam; YongHyun Cho; CyuGwang Kim; YeonBae Shin; Donggun Lim

doi:10.7836/kses.2025.45.3.019

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2025 Vol.45, Issue 3 Preview Page Next Page

Research Article

Relationship between Acceleration Factor and Equivalent Lifetime of Solar Modules in Long-Term Reliability Testing 장기신뢰성 시험을 통한 태양광 모듈의 가속계수 및 환산수명의 관계

30 June 2025. pp. 19-29

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Abstract

Photovoltaic modules are tested and certified based on IEC standards, which have been revised continuously since the 1970s. As new information is added to the existing procedures, each test method and sequence builds on the previous test, and as the industry evolved, the IEC test standards became the only standards recognized by both module manufacturers and buyers. However, experts recognize that the IEC test conditions do not match field conditions and that they are too different from field conditions for single tests to be conducted without considering various stressors in combination. In addition, given the circumstances of physical time and economics, it is not feasible to wait 20 or 25 years each time to determine what happens after the module is deployed in the field. In this study, the acceleration factor and equivalent life were calculated by applying an accelerated composite test, rather than a single test, as in the IEC standards, simulating actual field conditions. As a result, we propose a test model that can reduce the test time and save about 40% in terms of equivalent life.

Keywords

Reliability test

Accelerated test

PV module

Acceleration factor

Equivalent lifetime

키워드

신뢰성 테스트

가속 테스트

태양광 모듈

가속계수

환산수명

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Information

Publisher :Korean Solar Energy Society
Publisher(Ko) :한국태양에너지학회
Journal Title :Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
Journal Title(Ko) :한국태양에너지학회 논문집
Volume : 45
No :3
Pages :19-29
Received Date : 2025-03-24
Revised Date : 2025-04-14
Accepted Date : 2025-04-17
DOI :https://doi.org/10.7836/kses.2025.45.3.019

Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society ISSN:1598-6411(Print) 2508-3562(Online) 한국태양에너지학회 논문집

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