Jun 7 2010
Turnkey solar power plants provider and crystalline silicon solar producer SOLON Corporation has introduced its sophisticated Global Test Site (GTS) Network, comprising three similar outdoor proving ground situated in Tucson, Arizona; Berlin, Germany; and San Pietro, Italy. This network enables the company to test and comprehend the regional influences on PV modules so as to customize module design.
Regional factors including humidity, snow, wind, dust and temperature can have an impact on a solar PV modules’ performance. At the solar test centers, the company can study the various performance aspects on four platforms: fixed-tilt at latitude, dual-axis tracking, single-axis tracking and fixed-tilt at 0 degrees.
A customized Data Acquisition System (DAS) is utilized for measuring current and voltage after and before the inverter, in addition to irradiance (diffuse and direct), humidity, wind speed, ambient temperature and cell temperature. This information is recorded on a centralized server that facilitates the scientists of SOLON Corporation to retrieve and analyze a module’s performance at each of the three facilities.
The GTS Network facilitates the company to test technologies from prospective partners. For instance, currently, the optical concentration technology of Solaria is being tested at the network.