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Arsenal opens module test laboratory
At the end of April, Austrian research and test center Arsenal GmbH opened a test laboratory in Vienna for components of PV and solar thermal systems.
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Arsenal Österreichisches Forschungs- und Prüfzentrum GmbH |
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Piece by piece: The modules are checked for failures after every step of the examination.
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Hubert Fechner, director of the renewable energies division, announced that all required testing sets and processes have been installed and tested. Arsenal now can certify solar modules according to IEC 61215 standard. Along with Cologne, Germany-based TÜV and the European Commission's Research Center in Ispra, Italy, Arsenal is the third European institution able to conduct IEC approval procedures.
Arsenal can only certify between five and six module types per year. So it's certain that the Austrians won't have to worry about demand. One barely can obtain an appointment at TÜV, says Arsenal lab engineer Thomas Krametz. Arsenal has been receiving applications from the PV industry for months, he reveals.
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Arsenal Österreichisches Forschungs- und Prüfzentrum
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Hubert Fechner, director of the renewable
energies division, at the opening of Arsenal's PV test
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Apart from modules, the new laboratory also can test inverters. A specialized test bench enables the simulation of the
»supply side« of an inverter (the solar generator) as well as the »demand
side« (the grid).
The testing facilities are designed not only for certification, but also for product
development, explains Fechner. »As development partners in the PV
industry, we plan to support manufacturers with quick tests,
calculations, and simulations,« he adds. Arsenal intends to be able to accompany
»the entire development process, from product conceptualization to implementation and
certification.«
For more information on Arsenal's PV test lab, call Hubert Fechner at: phone +43/50/550-6299 or
fechner.h@arsenal.ac.at
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