Flash Test Data [RE-wrenches]

[Joel Davidson]

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Hi Don,

Minimum ratings with no plus/minus are a good idea.

Warranty ratings are a whole other story. Arco Solar's marketing department 
celebrated the company's 10th anniversary by announcing the first 10-year 
warranty. Kyocera had to go one better with its 12-year warranty and the 
warranty race was on. By the time Arco Solar turned 25 years old on March 1, 
1997, its new owner, Siemens Solar, proudly announced a 25-year warranty 
80%, 10-year 90% warranty. Resellers bought into the warranty marketing game 
hook-line-and-sinker. There are still people who believe that a piece of 
paper with 25-year warranty printed on it is better than a piece of paper 
with 20-year warranty written on it even though Siemens Solar is gone as is 
its successor, Shell Solar. As Oat Willie use to say "Onward through the 
fog" SolarWorld.

Another aspect of module longevity is degradation. People kicked dirt on 
amorphous silicon modules for years. Some still do even though we understand 
what's going on much better. See 
http://www.nrel.gov/pv/thin_film/docs/a_si_degradation_vonroedern_mrs2000.pdf

NREL has been measuring Uni-Solar's triple junction a-Si since it first hit 
the market in 1997 and degradation is holding steady at less than 1% per 
year which indicates that their 20-year 80% power warranty still has value. 
Now if only someone could fulfill Stan Ovshinsky's dream of 35-50 cents a 
watt. Heck, I'd even accept $1/watt. See 
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1981iece....3.2217D

Which brings us to the February 2006 "Accelerated Aging Testing in 
Photovoltaics- Research Curiosity or Decision Making Tool?" workshop. See 
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_america/pdfs/pv_accelerated_aging_summary.pdf

Happy reading. Live long and prosper.

Joel Davidson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Loweberg" <I2P at aol.com>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2007 12:52 PM
Subject: Re: Flash Test Data [RE-wrenches]


>
>
>
> In a message dated 6/17/2007 11:33:49 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
> atersol at owl.csusm.edu writes:
>
>
> IF each module IS flash tested what is the exuse for the -/+ 5-10% 
> warrantys?
> Isn't that just a way for the manufacturers to overcharge for what they 
> are
> delivering?
>
>
>
> Antony, You are right on the mark. This issue has been avoided, swept away
> for many years in spite of some valient efforts by some individuals to 
> push this
> problem. One simple rating (which you mention) and and one that has been
> promoted repeatedly by Chuck Whitaker is simply to use a minimum rating as 
> "the
> rating" No bull or BS about +_ tolerances.
>
> Installers, and especially the smaller outfits that can not demand flash
> specs on all modules(as I understand is the practice in Europe), are 
> taking a hit
> as are their customers.
>
> Best, Don Loweburg
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's free at 
> http://www.aol.com.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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