Round‐robin measurement intercomparison of c‐Si PV modules among Asian testing laboratories

Abstract

Because of recent advances in the production and installation of photovoltaic (PV) systems, the international conformity of PV module performance measurement has become increasingly important. The increase in PV production sites is particularly significant in the Asian region. The present paper summarizes and discusses the results of a round‐robin intercomparison of crystalline silicon modules among national laboratories and certified testing laboratories in the Asian region conducted from 2009 to 2011. Most of the values of Pmax measured at the different laboratories were within a ±2% range, although some Pmax results showed differences of up to about 3%. This result is comparable to that obtained in the recent intercomparison among international laboratories. Possible sources of difference in the measured values of Isc, Voc, FF, and Pmax are discussed, for further improvement of international conformity in PV measurement technologies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Electrical characterization intercomparison of high‐efficiency c‐Si modules within Asian and European laboratories

“…As previously reported, some of the correlations are weak ( r x,y < 0.4) but observable (for example between P max and V oc ); it is difficult to differentiate between statistical randomness and a weak actual relationship. Therefore, the significance of a correlation has to be assessed.…”

“…Interlaboratory measurement deviations of PV module electrical parameters are usually derived against the arithmetic average of participant laboratories . The disadvantage of this approach is that it does weigh all participants equally, as it does not account for the individual laboratories' measurement UC.…”

“…I sc , V oc , and P max are known to be correlated . The degree of linear dependence, if any, between variables is statistically evaluated by the Pearson correlation coefficient, ρ , of a population.…”

Results of the Fifth International Spectroradiometer Comparison for Improved Solar Spectral Irradiance Measurements and Related Impact on Reference Solar Cell Calibration

“…Although it is possible to reduce the influence of MM correction factor, and hence of its uncertainty [11], (e.g. choosing the calibration time and location in order to be as close as possible to AM1.5G condition), it is likely that a significant part of the 1 % to 3 % spread reported in the Isc values for PV modules [12,13] and cells [14,15] calibration round robin is due to the uncertainty in measuring the spectrum of the sun or of the solar simulators.…”

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“…In addition, as good practice for measurement and testing laboratories, and even required for calibration laboratories accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, 16 in the last 30 years several interlaboratory comparisons and round-robins have already been organised for SJ PV testing at STC. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] The World Photovoltaic Scale (WPVS) itself, which nowadays has become a sort of alias to refer to a solar cell with some standardised package, was in fact established in 1999 as measurement scale for PV starting from a dedicated world-wide intercomparison on calibration of PV cells. [26][27][28] Similar measurement comparisons are less numerous and less geographically wide in the case of MJ PV devices.…”