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2021 NIST/UL Workshop on Photovoltaic Materials Durability

NIST/UL

Scope: Cost-competitiveness, economic circularity, environmental impact, and durability and reliability are among the challenges for photovoltaic (PV) components, modules and arrays. To promote advancement of effective solutions to these challenges, NIST and UL are pleased to host a three-day virtual workshop on Photovoltaic Materials Durability for the global photovoltaic community. This bi-annual workshop is distinguished from other PV conferences by its focus on weathering, measurement, and modeling of durability and sustainability for materials used in solar PV applications.

The NIST/UL Workshop on Photovoltaic Materials Durability featured invited technical presentations and panel discussions. This event provided a forum for the exchange of research, innovation and methodology for participants ranging from material suppliers, module manufacturers, testing and certification companies to universities and national laboratories. It also offered a platform to spark new collaborations and align goals between relevant stakeholders. Attendees not only heard about advanced lifetime test methods, but also had an opportunity to engage in open discussions on how to convert advanced research to consensus standards development.

Technical Sessions:

  • Session 1: PV Reliability Programs

  • Session 2: PV Module Circular Economy

  • Session 3: Extreme Weather Impact and Post-disaster Investigation

  • Session 4: PV Module Field Survey

  • Session 5: Accelerated Laboratory Testing

  • Session 6: Linking Accelerated Laboratory Testing to Field Performance

  • Session 7: Characterization and Modeling

  • Session 8: Linking Research to Standards

  • Session 9: Emerging Technology

Who attended:

  • 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, durability and sustainability 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 and circularity issues in the PV industry

Presentations
Download and view the PV Workshop presentations here.

Created September 30, 2021, Updated January 5, 2022