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Scope: With intensified pricing pressure, low cost and emerging materials/technologies are increasingly used in photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing. To respond to new challenges of durability and reliability assessment of PV materials and modules, Atlas Material Testing Technology and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are pleased to host a two-day workshop on Photovoltaic Materials Durability for the global photovoltaic community. This workshop is distinguished from other PV conferences by its focus on weathering, measurement, and modeling of durability for materials used in solar PV applications.
The Atlas/NIST Workshop on Photovoltaic Materials Durability will feature technical presentations, a poster session, standards discussion, and a NIST facility tour. This event will allow participants to hear from and interact with industry experts ranging from material suppliers, module manufacturers, testing and certification companies to universities and national laboratories. Attendees will not only hear about advanced lifetime test methods, but will also have an opportunity to engage in open discussions on how to convert advanced research to consensus standards development.
Areas specifically addressed, but not limited to:
- Field performance
- New trends in observed PV failure modes
- Field survey in different climates
- Field backsheet degradation
- Field performance of bifacial PV systems and building integrated PV (BIPV) systems
- Non-destructive imaging
- Accelerated weathering
- Combined UV/T/RH test
- Thermal cycling, water spray
- Correlation between indoor and outdoor testing
- Potential induced degradation (PID)
- Characterization
- Non-destructive inspection
- Optical properties (anti-reflective and anti-soiling, etc)
- Adhesion
- Corrosion and acetic acid formation
- Crack monitoring and analysis
- Depth profiling of component degradation
- Electrical, voltage breakdown
- Relative thermal index (RTI) and relative thermal endurance (RTE)
- Modeling and lifetime assessment
- Service life prediction
- Accelerated life testing/ Extended testing
- Thermo-mechanical stress and strain modeling
- Statistical modeling for Linking accelerated test to field performance
- Development in materials, module technology and applications
- Safety
Who should attend:
- R&D staff interested in new materials and systems for PV
- Technical standards participants engaged in transitioning R&D into PV standards
- Reliability and QA personnel tasked with maximizing longevity and durability of their products (suppliers and module manufacturers)
- Financial managers, industry executives, and concerned system owners who are interested in warranty considerations and return on investment calculations in their business models
- Anyone interested in understanding long-term performance issues in the PV industry
If you are not registered, you will not be allowed on site. Registered attendees will receive security and campus instructions prior to the workshop.
NON U.S. CITIZENS PLEASE NOTE: All foreign national visitors who do not have permanent resident status and who wish to register for the above meeting must supply additional information. Failure to provide this information prior to arrival will result, at a minimum, in significant delays (up to 24 hours) in entering the facility. Authority to gather this information is derived from United States Department of Commerce Department Administrative Order (DAO) number 207-12. When registration is open, the required NIST-1260 form will be available as well. *New Visitor Access Requirement: Effective July 21, 2014, Under the REAL ID Act of 2005, agencies, including NIST, can only accept a state-issued driver's license or identification card for access to federal facilities if issued by states that are REAL ID compliant or have an extension.Click here for a list of alternative identification and further details>>