This document defines additional testing requirements for photovoltaic (PV) modules deployed under conditions leading to higher module temperature which are beyond the scope of IEC 61215‑1 and IEC 61730‑1 and the relevant component standards, IEC 62788‑1‑7, IEC 62788‑2‑1, IEC 62790 and IEC 62852. The testing conditions specified in IEC 61215‑2 and IEC 61730‑2 (and the relevant component standards IEC 62788‑1‑7, IEC 62788‑2‑1, IEC 62790 and IEC 62852) assumed that these standards are applicable for module deployment where the 98th percentile temperature (T98), that is the temperature that a module would be expected to exceed for 175,2 h per year, is less than 70 °C.
NOTE 175,2 h represents 2 % of a total year as some thermal failure modes are a function of time at temperature and not sensitive to day-only or night-only exposure.
Hybrid PV and thermal systems are out of scope of this document. Guidance on the selection of meteorological data for use in estimating T98 is outside the scope of this document and it is important to give it careful consideration. Annex A provides a method for estimating the temperature rating for PV modules without installation- or location-specific verification. With this, suitable installation practices and long-term durability testing can be prescribed. More accurate prescription of the temperature rating including local assessment and verification is outside the scope of this document. The effects of climate change are uncertain and not in the scope of this document. The intent of this specification is to address issues with higher temperatures but not for extended durability beyond that assessed in the IEC 61215 series or IEC 61730 series.
This document defines two temperature regimes, temperature Level 1 and temperature Level 2, which were designed considering deployment in environments with mounting configurations such that the T98 is less than or equal to 80 °C for temperature Level 1, and less than or equal to 90 °C for temperature Level 2. This document provides recommended additional testing conditions within the IEC 61215 series, IEC 61730 series, IEC 62788‑1‑7, IEC 62788‑2‑1, IEC 62790 and IEC 62852 for module operation in temperature Levels 1 and 2. Successfully passing a higher Level for a test, sequence of tests, or complete testing for a higher Level is an implied passing of the relevant lower-Level testing. For example, passing 200 thermal cycles for Level 2 is considered passing Level 0 and Level 1 for 200 thermal cycles.
