PV GAP RECOMMENDED SPECIFICATION PVRS 11A
Contents
1. Fuses Shipping vibration test System tests performance The battery shall be protected against short circuit by a fuse s as close as possible to the battery terminal s 10 Hz to 150 Hz Amplitude 3 5 mm acceleration 2 g 1 octave min Duration on each axis 2 h overall 6 h Lantern packed for shipping before the vibration testing The functional test the autonomy test and the recovery test Overcurrent devices shall be rated for at least 156 of the short circuit current at STC and shall have a voltage rating of at least 125 Voc The lantern shall function The lamp must function at all stages of the test unless the charge controller has disconnected the lamp due to a low battery state of charge LVD The battery capacity shall not decrease over the testing period more than 10 expressed by Co C2 Co lt 10 Co is the initial battery capacity and Cz is the final battery capacity Recovery The recovery test should exhibit an upward trend in the system voltage During the recovery test the total net Ah into the battery should be gt 50 of C where C4 is the battery capacity after recovery test After capacity test C4 the load shall begin operating again on or before the third recovery test cycle The System Balance Point see System Characterisation Plot shall match the defined minimum irradiation class or be below The measured days of autonomy shall match th2. Page 4 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 3 Normative and informative references The documents below that are indicated as being normative contain provisions which through reference in this text constitute provisions of this International Specification At the time of publication the editions indicated were valid All normative documents are subject to revision and parties to agreements based on this International Specification are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below Members of IEC and ISO maintain registers of currently valid International Standards PV GAP Recommended Specifications can be obtained from PV GAP The other documents listed are informative for the purpose of the present Specification IEC 60068 2 6 1995 Environmental testing Part 2 Tests Test Fc Vibration sinusoidal Normative IEC 60529 1989 Degrees of protection provided by enclosures IP Code Normative IEC 60904 1 2006 Photovoltaic devices Part 1 Measurement of photovoltaic current voltage characteristics Normative IEC 60904 2 2007 Photovoltaic devices Part 2 Requirements for reference solar devices IEC 60904 5 1993 Photovoltaic devices Part 5 Determination of the equivalent cell temperature ECT of photovoltaic PV devices by the open circuit voltage method Normative IEC 60904 9 2007 Photovoltaic devices Part 9 Solar simulator p
3. measure the usable battery capacity UBC Vreg voltage level or other parameter e g elapsed time in the case of NiMH batteries at which the controller determines a full battery level BC Battery Charging Recharge the battery before running the Functional Test FT Functional Test Run the Functional Test to verify that the system and load operate properly Page 18 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 UBC First Usable Battery Capacity Test capacity test and autonomy test Charge and discharge the battery Measure the usable battery capacity Determine the system autonomy RT Recovery Test Determine the ability of the PV System to recharge the discharged battery UBC Second Usable Battery Capacity Final capacity test Discharge the battery Measure the usable battery capacity 15 6 System characterisation graph Plot the values found in the tests and construct the system characterisation graph as described in clause 17 Determine the System Balance Point 16 Solar lantern testing sequence 16 1 Solar lantern testing conditions The temperature of the batteries shall be kept at 27 C 3 C The general ambient temperature during testing shall be within 27 C 3 C The test is valid both for using a solar simulator or a solar module simulator Both shall have the ability to simulate the Reference Solar Day using the Daily Irradiance Profiles as described in this specification Th
4. lighting device suitable for indoor lighting For the purpose of this standard the service environment of the lantern without the PV module can be described as being fully covered by a building or enclosure to protect it from direct rain sun wind blown dust fungus and radiation to the cold night sky etc but the building or enclosure is not conditioned in terms of temperature humidity or air filtration A lighting device which provides only unidirectional lighting such as typical flashlights will not be classified as a solar lantern in the present context The focus of the test methods and procedures in this document is on solar lantern performance and durability evaluation and therefore includes the lantern components The results of this test are applicable to the exact components and the entire lantern configuration that are tested as noted in the Conformity Assessment Report referred to in the IECEE Conformity Assessment Certificate CAC The chosen testing condition is intended to represent the majority of climatic zones for which these solar lanterns are designed Note 1 The test procedure is composed to ensure a lifetime expectancy under conditions of normal use and in moderate climatic conditions of five years and beyond without major need for maintenance such as change replacement of modules charge controller lamps or switches In practice however warranties of only one or two years are common Note 2 The test logic is s
5. or can be varied in brightness For the purpose of this test always the maximum light output as specified by the manufacturer shall be used Verify that the lamp starts and operates properly In systems with multiple lamps verify that each individual lamp can start and run while all other lamps are operating For this test it is only necessary to operate the lamp s long enough to determine whether they function correctly Turn off all lamps after verifying they operate properly 15 3 3 Data acquisition system installation Install the plane of module irradiance sensor reference device The irradiance sensor shall be as close as possible to the PV module without shading the module and shall be mounted in the same plane and within 5 of the module tilt angle Program the data acquisition system to monitor the measurement parameters and store as 5 minute averages Install the temperature sensors e The ambient temperature sensor must be mounted in an aspirated or double shaded shield e The temperature sensor on the back of the module must be mounted in the middle of a solar cell within the centre of a module utilising thermal paste and covering the sensor with insulation material and foil The battery temperature sensor must be mounted as close as possible to the temperature compensation sensor If temperature compensation is internal to the charge controller a temperature sensor in addition to the battery temperature sensor
6. shall be mounted to sense the controller temperature Install voltage sensors for the PV module and loads Install the voltage sensor for the battery at the battery terminals Maximum and minimum values of the signals specified in Table shall also be collected and stored Install current sensors for the PV module battery and lamp Calculate module and load DC Power DC power may be computed by multiplying average DC voltage and average DC current Install a sensor to detect proper load operation for example a light sensor in front of a lamp NOTE In case of a fluorescent lamp it would not be adequate to only look at the current load as an indicator of load operation as the lamp could malfunction yet the ballast may continue to draw current Note the load operation method Modify a copy of the schematic to show the data acquisition system sensor locations This modified schematic shall be included in the report of clause 20 15 3 4 Lantern photographs Photograph the lantern after the lantern has been instrumented Include the photos with the documentation Page 17 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 15 4 Visual inspection The lantern and its components must be checked for damage and workmanship for example suitability of structural elements After each test flex all conductors along their entire length noting any discoloration or brittleness of the insulation Undersized conductors and poor connection
7. under these conditions The light shall operate undamaged Note there are lanterns on the markets that have a built in automatic protection mechanism preventing simultaneous charging of the battery and use of the lamp For such lanterns this test cannot be carried out 16 9 Visual inspection Perform a visual inspection in accordance with 15 4 16 10 Unusual occurrences Note any unusual occurrences during the test period These may include unplanned short or open circuits data acquisition system malfunctions etc Page 23 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 17 Determination of the System Balance Point The lantern characterisation plot gives a graphical representation of the minimum average irradiation that the intended location must have for the lantern to function properly Sum the Ah into the battery and the irradiation for each day during the functional and recovery tests Plot the battery Ah along the Y axis vs irradiation along the X axis The data should tend to fall along and in between two lines similar to those shown in example in Figure 2 A horizontal line is drawn through the point with the minimum value of Ah for days when the charge controller limits the module current flowing into the battery A sloped line is drawn through origin and the point with the highest value on days the controller does not limit the current flowing into the battery at any time The System Balance Point is defined by the interse
8. voltage D 2 Quiescent current The quiescent current i e the self consumption when no lamp is lit should not exceed 2 0 mA D 3 Protection against dust water and foreign bodies IP code Since the solar lanterns are predominantly used indoors but may be taken outdoors occasionally and hence may be subjected to occasional rainfall a minimum IP class of IP23 see IEC 60529 is recommended This also ensures a desired level of safety with regard to accidental accessibility of live parts D 4 Cable A water resistant mechanically robust and UV resistant cable should be used between the solar PV module and the charge controller A cable at least 5 m long should be provided for inter connection between the module and the lantern The continuous maximum current rating of the conductors after any deratings for temperature or installation conditions in PV source and output circuits should be at least 156 of the short circuit current at STC and should not be less than the rating of any overcurrent device protecting those conductors All wiring should be colour coded and or labelled D 5 Connectors All connectors should be polarised and be able to withstand 156 of the short circuit current at STC The rated current carrying capacity of the connectors should not be less than the circuit current rating D 6 Indicators The lantern should provide e an indication of charging state and e an indication of load disconnect state
9. AC or NCB Certificate the module power is lower than 20 W and the Outdoor exposure test manufacturer does not manufacture certified modules of otherwise Damp heat test and identical type Robustness of terminations test Lamp Certificate required constitutes PVRS 7A or equivalent national standards acceptability Page 8 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Switching and PV module connector durability test 1 000 cycles Functionality and safety evaluated Resistance of connector lt 20 mQ Open circuit test of the ballast Input voltage 1 2 times the nominal battery voltage repeat twice The lantern shall function Open circuit test of the charge controller Remove the battery Apply 1 25 times open circuit voltage to the PV module input terminals of the charge controller The charge controller must withstand the condition without any damage Reverse polarity of the PV module Apply a reverse polarity voltage equal to 1 5 times the nominal open circuit voltage of the PV module to the PV module input terminals of the charge controller The charge controller must withstand the condition without any damage Reverse polarity of the battery Apply a reverse polarity voltage equal to 1 2 times the nominal battery voltage to the battery input terminals of the charge controller The charge controller must withstand the condition without any damage
10. PV GAP PVRS 11A RECOMMENDED 2005 03 SPECIFICATION Amendment 1 2009 12 Portable solar photovoltaic PV lanterns Design qualification and type approval Amendment 1 Extension to include lanterns with nickel metal hydride batteries Reference number PVRS 11A 2004 PVIGAP Amendment 1 2009 Page 0 of 35 PV GAP 2009 PV GAP PVRS 11A RECOMMENDED Amendment 1 ae SPECIFICATION Portable solar photovoltaic PV lanterns Design qualification and type approval reproduced by kind permission of the World Bank UNDP Energy Sector Management Programme ESMAP whose support in the preparation of this publication is acknowledged by PV GAP Amendment 1 Extension to include lanterns with nickel metal hydride batteries Copyright all rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying and microfilm without permission in writing from the publisher PVIGAP PV GAP Secretariat c o IEC Central Office 3 rue de Varemb PO Box 131 1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland Fax 41 22 919 03 00 PRICE USD 20 Page 1 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 CONTENTS FOC WOMC ea AA de AAA AATA A AAA 3 T SCOPE ninge a Ae e a a a a Gites aaa a a a a 4 Ds PURPOSE nie a a e ies Ree a e N es hte a T E 4 3 Normative and informative referenCes cccceecceeeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseneaeeeseeeeeeeseeeaeeesee
11. The indicator may consist of LEDs or an LCD Page 35 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 D 7 Switching thresholds for charge controllers for lead acid batteries The following thresholds are recommended for using the battery voltage as the main parameter for the switching algorithm at a surrounding temperature of 20 C and an acid concentration of 1 24 kg l e High Voltage Disconnect HVD gt 2 35 V cell e High Voltage Reconnect by two point regulation HVR 2 15 2 35 V cell e Low Voltage Disconnect LVD gt 1 90 V cell e Low Voltage Reconnect LVR gt 2 15 V cell At other acid concentrations the required thresholds must be adjusted according to the manufacturer s specifications NOTE 1 The lower limit of the Low Voltage Disconnect is an absolute minimum NOTE 2 These values are primarily intended for charge controllers that use the battery voltage as the main parameter for the switching algorithm Some manufacturers use other parameters e g state of charge D 8 Switching thresholds for charge controllers for NiMH batteries Due to the flat charging characteristic of NiMH batteries used in solar lanterns typically low to medium charging rate there is no High Voltage Disconnect HVD point Full charge is achieved when at least 150 or as otherwise stated by the battery manufacturer of the battery capacity has been charged into the discharged LVD 1 0 V battery The simplest solar lanterns may the wor
12. aeeeseaees 5 A Abbreviations 1 1 0ni2 bai endian baal need edie aad aie edd aiatla ead 5 5 Testing Methods sar istctei ee daei A he eed ed dade and ee 6 6 MAPK a ig tat ai ATAO aed ATIE Ap cali gene acai ae ty oven teeta senna eee 10 T a Passcriterlat ain aits aoe acai aaa eae eta eae cheng ee aca ae anaes 10 O Mamia oiec4 eaters Asda ctres azar d cdnr lar Adair casita nai Adtran adi Amita raat ae 13 g Major detects rirani aa tR T ich E pean avery sea cari AOE ROE E E E REE LEARRA 13 10 Epad Specificatii Messids a e aa aaan aa aaia aa eaaa a e a aasia 13 11 Solar PV module Si rakeinen A E E E OERA E 14 12 Switching and solar module connector durability 0 cece cence eee e eee e eee eee eee een en tensa en eae 14 13 Protection against open circuit short circuit and reverse polarity tests e eeeeeeeeeeee es 15 14 Shipping vibration test 0 c ce cec eee e eee eee eee eee eee eee eae e eee ce ee ee ee eases eeeesaeaeaeeeeeeeeeeenees 16 15 Solar lantern performance tests 2 ccccceeeeee cence eee ee eee eee ee eens ea ee esse ee eeeeeaeeeeeaeaeeeeeeeees 16 16 Solar lantern testing SEQUENCE ec ceece eter eee ene eee nent terre eee e ne tent e eta ten areata ea eaee tees 19 17 Determination of the system balance point cc ceceeee eee tent tenet ee eee teen tees teeta eens eeeeenene O taeeeeed 22 18 Indoor testing using a PV module Simulator ccc ce eee eee
13. all be taken at random from a production batch or batches The solar lanterns shall have been manufactured from specified materials and components in accordance with the relevant drawings and process sheets and have been subjected to the manufacturers normal inspection quality control and production acceptance procedures The solar lanterns shall be complete in every detail and shall be accompanied by the manufacturer s handling mounting and connecting instructions including safety instructions A copy of the CAC or NCB Certificate for the PV module and relevant test certificate for the lamp s shall be included if present Otherwise these tests must be performed independently When the solar lanterns to be tested are prototypes of a new design and not from production this fact shall be noted in the test report clause 20 In this case CACs and certificates will not be eligible for type approval certification If the lamps are sealed or components are not accessible potted and the configuration is based on an inverter electronic ballast between battery and fluorescent lamps the solar lantern has to be provided in a non sealed potted version with the components accessible for measuring current voltage characteristics to perform the tests If DC CFL units with integrated inverter are used this is not necessary even when the lantern is potted The lamp current will then be measured with an interface between lamp socket and lamp If the sol
14. ar lantern is designed for different lamps with different run times for each lamp the configuration with the largest power consumption shall by default be tested The manufacturer may however deviate from this procedure and select the configuration for which he wants to get the certification 5 2 Testing sequence In carrying out the tests the test operator shall strictly follow the manufacturer s handling mounting and connection instructions First two of each of the components shall be subjected to the test sequences in this specification carried out in the order laid down If both components fail any test the design shall be deemed not to have met the qualification requirements If one of the two components fails any test the third component shall be subjected to the whole of the relevant test sequence from the beginning If this component also fails the design shall be deemed not to have met the qualification requirements Once all the components have passed the component tests the solar lanterns shall be subjected to the shipping vibration test and the lantern performance test The procedures of the lantern performance test are subdivided into three different tests the functional test the autonomy test and the recovery test The lantern shall be subjected to the test sequences in this specification carried out in the order described If both lantern samples fail any test the design shall be deemed not to have met the qualific
15. ation requirements If one of the two lantern samples fails any test the third lantern shall be subjected to the entire relevant test sequence from the beginning If this lantern also fails the design shall be deemed not to have met the qualification requirements Figure 1 represents the qualification process Page 7 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 jusuodwod Yoke 104 Sampling i vy Check for completeness certificates etc Certificate Yes No Test of components ti Pass Fail Fail p Pass Test on system Performance characteristics Pass Fail Figure 1 Flow diagram representing the qualification process 5 3 Testing levels and criteria The following table contains an overview over the tests testing conditions and criteria Test Conditions Criteria PV module The PV module as specified by the IEC 61215 or IEC 61646 manufacturer and included in the set shall have a CAC or NCB Certificate constitutes acceptability PV module The PV module does not have a Module is identical regarding material used CAC or NCB Certificate but the production process and production site to modules criteria to the right are met for which the manufacturer holds certification constitutes acceptability except the power output is lower than 20 W PV module The PV module does not have a A standard module test is passed limited to C
16. ave multiple lighting modes e g by incorporating two lamps or by electronic controls For the purpose of this test the lamp shall be operated at maximum power The manufacturer shall specify the daily number of hours the system can service the load under the test conditions described in this specification DRT This number shall be derived using the irradiation class Ill specified in Annex A Page 13 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 For the purpose of the test and while the PV modules are connected the load is never operated during daylight or at times when the solar irradiance is above 50 W m 11 Solar PV module test The purpose of this test sequence is to determine the electrical characteristics of the module and to show as far as possible within reasonable constraints of cost and time that the module is capable of matching the expected lifetime which a solar lantern is expected to have The test is a simplified version of the IEC module test according to IEC 61215 in case of crystalline silicon PV modules and according to IEC 61646 in case of thin film PV modules For the purpose of this standard the testing procedure under clause 10 of IEC 61215 or IEC 61646 is limited to the following three tests e outdoor exposure test e damp heat test e robustness of terminations test 12 Switching and PV module connector durability test 12 1 Purpose The purpose of this test is to ensure that the used sw
17. been exposed to an overall irradiation of 35 kWh m If the lantern reaches HVD in the case of NiMH batteries full charge calculated on the basis of elapsed time record after how many recovery test cycles HVD full charge was reached Record at which recovery test cycle the load started to operate Measure the net Ah into the battery and to the load during seven Recovery Test Cycles After these recovery test cycles switch off the lamp for NiMH batteries allow the voltage to fall to LVD set the simulator at 7OO0W m 50W m and wait until the lantern reaches a state of regulation for NiMH batteries completion of the elapsed time stated by the manufacturer for full re charging Once the lantern reaches a state of regulation keep it at this state for 12 hours The battery can then be regarded as fully charged Perform a visual inspection in accordance with 15 4 16 7 Final capacity test With PV off and light on continuously allow the lantern to fully discharge the battery The battery is fully discharged when it reaches LVD Allow the battery to remain at LVD for 5 hours Record the number of Ah discharged from the battery This is the Final Usable Battery Capacity UBC3 16 8 Operation at maximum voltage Verify the suitability of the light operated at the maximum battery voltage occurring during periods of high irradiance between 800 and 1000 W m and at high state of charge The light shall be operated for a period of 1 hour
18. city test Perform this test in accordance with 16 2 18 3 Battery charge cycle Perform this test in accordance with 16 3 18 4 Lantern functional test Perform the functional test in accordance with 16 4 18 5 Second capacity test Perform this test in accordance with 16 5 18 6 Recovery test Perform this test in accordance with 16 6 18 7 Final capacity test Perform this test in accordance with 16 7 18 8 Operation at maximum voltage Perform this test in accordance with 16 8 18 9 Visual inspection Perform a visual inspection in accordance with 15 4 18 10 Unusual occurrences Note any unusual occurrences during the test period These may include unplanned short or open circuits data acquisition system malfunctions etc 19 Modifications Any change in the design materials components or processing of the lantern may require a repetition of some or all of the qualification tests to maintain design qualification Page 25 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 20 Report A report of the qualification tests with measured performance characteristics and details of any failures and retests shall be prepared by the testing laboratory The manufacturer shall keep a copy of this report for reference purposes Page 26 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Annex A Normative Classification of Irradiation and Systems A 1 Determination of the irradiation class and design irrad
19. ction of these lines The System Balance Point can be determined by calculation or by using graphical means The system as shown in Figure 2 will for example be suitable for locations that have at least 2 5 kWh m day as a yearly average Therefore the lantern would be qualified for irradiation class Annex A and the specified daily load profile Daily Run Time which must be stated in the final test report and should correspond with the manufacturer s lantern performance declaration Note a different load profile results in different characterisation chart Daily Charged Ah into The Battery Ah 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Irradiation kWh m day Figure 2 Lantern characterisation chart charge sequence example with three irradiation profiles and 10 cycles Discharge constant load profile Page 24 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 18 Indoor testing using a PV module simulator 18 1 Testing conditions An electronic power supply simulating the module characteristics shall be used which has the ability to simulate the Reference Solar Day in accordance with 16 4 Annex C describes the calculations leading to current and voltage characteristics simulating the PV module under conditions prescribed in this specification The temperature of the batteries shall be kept at 27 C 3 C The general ambient temperature during testing shall be within 27 C 3 C 18 2 Initial capa
20. d may is not intended to be permissive but only to introduce the following observation not incorporate discharging to LVD and timed charge termination relying on the daily daylight self regulated system instead This may result in some overcharging which is generally tolerated by the battery but shortens its life The Low Voltage Disconnect LVD point is 1 0 V cell based on IEC 61951 2 unless otherwise specified by the solar lantern manufacturer Lanterns that do not posses an LVD feature run the risk of cell destruction in series strings of cells e g five cells to provide 6 0 V at full charge that can arise from forced reverse charging of weak cells as the battery discharges Annex E Normative Declaration of Compliance PV module The Company XY hereby declares that the PV module that is used for all Company s Solar Lanterns hereinafter referred to as Solar Lantern Module under the product name name of the Solar Lantern ZZ is structurally similar to modules which are currently certified to IEC 61215 or IEC 61646 or to a nationally equivalent standard hereinafter referred to as Certified Module by an accredited certification body see Note below Structurally similar means that the Solar Lantern Module is produced at the same plant by the same processes and from the same materials as the Certified Module The certificate for the Certified Module must be attached to the present Declaration CEO
21. e defined minimum days of autonomy as indicated by the manufacturer or be above The lamp shall operate undamaged according to the manufacturer s specification at the maximum battery voltage occurring during periods of high irradiance and at high state of charge No sample shall exhibit any abnormal open circuit or short circuit during the tests Page 9 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 6 Marking The manufacturer shall provide the solar lantern and the PV module if not integrated with the following clear and indelible markings e name monogram or symbol of the manufacturer supplier e type or model number e nominal module and battery voltage e serial or batch number e polarity of terminals or leads e precautionary warning concerning special requirements for storage putting into service and handling Labelling on equipment shall be in accordance with good ergonomic principles so that warning notices controls indications testing facilities fuses etc are sensibly placed and logically grouped to facilitate correct and unambiguous identification 7 Pass criteria A solar lantern design shall be judged to have passed the qualification test if each test sample meets all the following criteria 7 1 Solar lantern completeness The lantern shall be complete and contain the following elements e all the necessary hardware e specification by the manufacturer of daily run time DRT under t
22. e module connecting device the charge controller and e to test the solar lantern as the entire unit The first series of tests are component tests to determine whether the components mentioned above are appropriate for use in a solar lantern application The second test procedure then is a type approval to verify whether or not the component configuration in the solar lantern is well optimised to provide the lighting services for which the solar lantern is specified These two tests are independent and essential steps for evaluating the quality of solar lanterns Any of the components previously tested according to the procedure in this specification and already certified do not need retesting The fluorescent lamps test PVRS 7A has been developed under the leadership of PV GAP and is available through PV GAP Usually solar lanterns powered by modules having a maximum STC power output less than 20 W can be subjected to a reduced test sequence which is based on IEC 61215 and IEC 61646 respectively described in clause 11 of this specification However if these modules are from a family of modules which has a CAC or NCB Certificate to IEC 61215 or 61646 this small module is considered to be certified for the solar lantern application without any further tests Page 6 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 5 1 Sampling Three complete solar lanterns for qualification testing plus spares as specified by the supplier sh
23. e of the used datalogger is not fast enough then one method is to sample once per second with an integrator filter circuit added to the data acquisition system input The time constant of the integrator filter will need to be at least two times the sample period An oscilloscope may be required to determine the controller type and its switching frequency Data shall be stored as 5 minute averages as appropriate for each test The following parameters shall be measured determined Page 28 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP Measured parameter 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Table B 1 Recorded Values Parameters to be Measured Determined Comments Module voltage Load voltage Battery voltage Minimum average and maximum Minimum average and maximum Minimum average and maximum Voltage at the module before blocking diodes Measured at the load Measured at the battery Module current Load current Battery current Minimum average and maximum Minimum average and maximum Battery amp hours in and out Air temperature Module temperature Battery temperature Solar irradiance Load operation Sensor specifications The voltage sensors shall Average Average average Average Load Run Time have a resolution of 0 01 A or better DC voltage and DC current measuring instruments shall comply with IEC Publication 60904 1 except that the accuracy shall be within 1 FS The tempe
24. e solar simulator shall be Class C or better However for days with a high solar irradiation a three step profile is allowed For days with a low solar irradiation a constant value of the irradiance is allowed This specification may be amended to allow the use of non solar simulators upon the publication of IEC 61853 Performance testing and energy rating of terrestrial photovoltaic PV modules under consideration in IEC TC 82 The requirements for the solar module simulator are described in annex C 16 2 Initial capacity test Make sure the system has been properly preconditioned in accordance with 15 3 1 With PV on and load off allow the lantern to charge the battery by imposing at least 700 W m Once the lantern reaches a state of regulation for NiMH batteries after the elapsed time stated by the lantern manufacturer see annex D 8 keep the lantern at this state for 12 hours The battery will then be regarded as charged With PV off and load on continuously allow the lantern to fully discharge the battery The battery is fully discharged when it reaches LVD see annex D 8 Allow the battery to remain at LVD for 5 hours Record the number of Ah discharged from the battery This is the Initial Usable Battery Capacity UBC Perform a visual inspection as described in the section in accordance with 15 4 16 3 Battery charge cycle Switch off the light Set the simulator at 700 W m 50 W m With PV on and load off let the lanter
25. eee eee eens eee ee et eee eae a eeee et eeaeaenenes 23 19 Modifications sn 0s St yeti Seine Gere ee eee evi eee ee ea at 24 20 Report aisar t e eaa beet edatan td e a aaa etabidida ddded ead eel ude eid 24 Annex A Normative Classification of Irradiation and SysteMS ccceeeceeeee eee ee este ee eeeeeeeeaeeeees 25 Annex B Normative Instrumentation and Equipment for the System Test ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeee teens 26 Annex C Normative Determination of the module output for indoor testing using a PV module simulator 28 Annex D Informative Design Recommendations 0 0 cccccee cece cence eee ee eens dee ee ee een en eneeee een eneaeneeas 33 Annex E Normative Declaration of compliance PV MOdUE cece eee eeenee ee ee een tees teeta en eneeee nena 34 Annex F Normative Declaration of compliance Battery 0 ccceee cece eee e eee e eee tees een en en ee ee eeeen en eaaa 35 Page 2 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 3 4 FOREWORD PV GAP Global Approval Program for Photovoltaics is a not for profit international organization dedicated to the sustained growth of global photovoltaics PV markets to meet energy needs world wide in an environmentally sound manner Its mission is to promote and encourage the use of internationally accepted standards quality management processes and organizational training in the design fabrication installation sales a
26. erformance Test Assuming the NOCT of the module is determined only the performance of the module under STC shall be measured refer to module performance data The output corresponding to the conditions at the defined reference solar day has to be calculated according to following formula Page 30 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Translation factors Isc2 Isc here p s G2 Voc 2 Vou tain G rb I lati for the IV d i Current b h Isc Module parameters temperature coefficient of lsc temperature coefficient of Voc dimensiontess radiation correction factor of Voc Qa b a Rs serial resistance of the module PV array Voltage V2 Vi4 wee 4 Ks iG _ ie default 0 0005 C default 0 004 C default 0 06 default 0 SS a Temperature and irradiance correction of current voltage characteristics As a result of the procedure for temperature and irradiance correction a set of IV curves is defined according to the specified reference solar day One curve for each step of the day profile is estimated This procedure must be repeated for every profile which is used in the test sequence of the performance test Module current in A 10 Module voltage in V 12 22 TMD performance Line of MPP STC performance Figure C 1 Set of IV characteristics for a daily irradiance profile example T
27. erformance requirements Normative IEC 61215 2005 Crystalline silicon terrestrial photovoltaic PV modules Design qualification and type approval Normative IEC 61646 2008 Thin film silicon terrestrial photovoltaic PV modules Design qualification and type approval Normative IEC 61853 Performance testing and energy rating of terrestrial photovoltaic PV modules under consideration in IEC TC 82 IEC 61951 2 2003 Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline and other non acid electrolyte Portable sealed rechargeable single cells Part 2 Nickel metal hydride Normative IEC 62093 2005 Balance of system components for photovoltaic systems Design Qualification natural environments IEC 62124 2004 Photovoltaic PV stand alone systems Design Verification Normative PVRS 7A 2005 DC supplied lighting systems with fluorescent lamps for photovoltaic PV stand alone systems Normative ISO 9001 2000 Quality management systems General requirements Normative 4 Abbreviations AC alternating current Ah Ampere hours CAC Conformity Assessment Certificate issued under the IEC System for Conformity Testing and Certification of Electrotechnical Equipment and Components IECEE and referring to the associated Conformity Assessment Report and the relevant Standards and Specifications CFL compact fluorescent lamp DC direct current Page 5 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 DRT daily
28. eries which inherently have no high voltage disconnect parameter at low and medium charging rates and a low voltage disconnect figure of 1 0 V based on IEC 61951 2 General enquiries about PV GAP may be addressed to the publisher which is the PV GAP Secretariat c o IEC Central Office 3 rue de Varemb Box 31 CH 1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland E mail richard kay bluewin ch telefax 41 22 919 03 01 The publisher will be pleased to receive any comments from users of this PV GAP Recommended Specification All comments will be acknowledged Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this PV GAP Recommended Specification the publisher can accept no responsibility for any errors that may have occurred Page 3 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 PORTABLE SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC PV LANTERNS DESIGN QUALIFICATION AND TYPE APPROVAL AMENDMENT 1 EXTENSION TO INCLUDE LANTERNS WITH NICKEL METAL HYDRIDE BATTERIES 1 Scope The specifications test methods and procedures for indoor tests included in this document cover portable solar photovoltaic PV lanterns which are lighting systems consisting of a lamp a lead acid or nickel metal hydride NiMH battery and electronics all placed in a suitable housing made of durable material such as metal or plastic and an integrated or separate PV module The battery is charged by electricity generated through the PV module The lantern is basically a portable
29. esting conditions For the purpose of this test DRT is based on the irradiation class lIl as shown in annex A e specification by the manufacturer concerning the design load Wh the irradiation level for which this design load can be energized by the solar lantern the autonomy and the classification under design conditions see annex A These specifications enable the testing laboratory to verify the manufacturer s calculations e specification by the manufacturer concerning the days of autonomy under testing conditions e certificates e manual as described in clause 8 7 2 The PV module The PV module as specified by the manufacturer and included in the set shall have a CAC or NCB Certificate to IEC 61215 in case of crystalline silicon PV modules and IEC 61646 in case of thin film PV modules In case the module does not have a CAC or NCB Certificate the following three requirements shall be met i the module manufacturer already has a CAC or NCB Certificate for larger module s and ii the module for the solar lantern application is less than 20 W total power and Page 10 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 iii the module for the solar lantern applies the same materials including but not limited to solar cells interconnecting material encapsulants junction box connections and is made in the same factory using the same manufacturing installation as for the module s for which the manufacturer ha
30. f 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Temperature controlled test room Profile for daily energy use Set of array operation lines Parana ra A s ag A A A a A a a A A a AA A A A Pracess control adjustment of charging current Programmable constant current power suppl Electrical load Battery charge regulator Battery voltage Pernt net t at s s a E A A Figure C 4 Experimental set up for PV system performance testing C 4 Algorithm for simulation of the module performance Initialise source source lu Measurement of battery voltage Vsa V Bat fits with operation line lint lit Al Vea gt VoL Adjustment of source current Source i Flow chart for simulation of the module performance presented for one time step of the PTOC profile Page 34 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Annex D Informative Design Recommendations The following recommendations represent current best practice design recommendations for portable solar PV lanterns D 1 Reverse current Reverse current that is to say battery discharge into the module s should be minimised The means by which this is achieved should be documented If blocking diodes are used the current capacity should be 50 higher than the short circuit current at STC The peak inverse voltage of the diode should be at least double the open circuit battery
31. he solar lantern voltage is dominated by the battery voltage Hence the module operates in the range of the battery voltage The window is limited by two significant thresholds The upper limit is the High Voltage Disconnect HVD set point for lead acid batteries fully charged state for NiMH batteries see annex D 8 which disconnects the module at a certain voltage or at full charge for NiMH batteries The lower limit is the deep discharge point which protects the battery and cannot be exceeded by normal system operation Page 31 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 The IV curves within the window can be estimated linearly These estimated linear lines are called operation lines Each IV curve within the battery voltage range is defined by means of two operation lines to achieve a good estimation The operation lines are defined by three points on the IV curve The point of intersection between module IV curve and the lower voltage limit is the first point Lx The second point Mx is at the middle of the defined voltage range The point of intersection between module IV curve and the higher voltage limit is the third point Hx Line of voltage drop due to ohmic losses example 5 m cable 2 5 resistance 0 034 Ohms Voltage drop at3 A 0 1V Voltage drop caused by blocking diode approx 0 7 V 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Module voltage Figure C 2 Approximation of m
32. he website www pvqap org Changes to the first edition 2005 are mainly as follows 1 In clause 1 the scope is extended to include lanterns with nickel metal hydride NiMH batteries The statement on service environment is deleted as inappropriate to solar lanterns 2 In clause 3 the list of Standards and Specifications is amended and updated 3 In clause 5 the limit for small PV modules is raised from 10 W to 20 W to embrace current practice 4 Subclause 5 3 the battery is no longer included In subclause 7 3 the battery is exempted from testing and certification being by now a common professional consumer off the shelf item sealed and maintenance free However certification of the battery manufacturer to ISO 9001 or equivalent is required together with a Declaration new annex F by the solar lantern manufacturer that only such batteries are used and that their advertised cyclic endurance is traceable to test data 5 Subclause 5 3 and subclause 14 4 it is mentioned that the lantern is packed for shipping before the vibration testing 6 Clauses 6 Marking 8 Manual and 9 Major defects originally written for Solar Home Systems are simplified for solar lanterns 7 In subclause 7 2 the solar lantern manufacturer may make a Declaration new annex E concerning the structural similarity of the solar lantern PV module to already certified larger modules 8 Subclause 16 2 and annex D 8 introduce elapsed charging time for NiMH batt
33. iation Derive the Yearly Average Daily Horizontal Irradiation and the Irradiation Range from a meteorological station near the location of intended use The Irradiation Range Hrange is the difference between the Monthly Average Daily Horizontal Irradiation in the month with the highest irradiation and the Monthly Average Daily Horizontal Irradiation in the month with the lowest irradiation in kKWh m day Table A 1 contains a classification system for locations with different irradiation patterns Every location can thus be allocated to an Irradiation Class Table A 1 Irradiation Classes rradiation Class u m w vv Range KWh m day 15 NOTE The calculation of the DRT is based on Irradiation class lll A 2 Rating systems For a given system at a specific location the Effective Daily Energy Available to the Load can be calculated This will then be expressed as the Effective Daily Energy Available to the Load for a system of make X at location Y and shall be expressed in Wh The same system may classify differently in another country or even at another location in the same country Page 27 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Annex B Normative Instrumentation and equipment for the system test The following instrumentation and equipment is necessary for conducting the system tests e DC voltage and DC current measuring instruments e DC amp hour meter or some other means of monitoring e Elapsed t
34. iation 1 kWh m Cycle 4 Day with low irradiation 1 kWh m Cycle 5 Day with high irradiation 5 kWh m Cycle 6 Day with high irradiation 5 kWh m Cycle 7 Day with high irradiation 5 kWh m Cycle 8 Day with high irradiation 5 kWh m Cycle 9 Day with high irradiation 6 kWh m Cycle 10 Day with high irradiation 6 kWh m x operate load operate load operate load operate load operate load operate load operate load operate load operate load operate load wm s VS SSS SS wa The cycles do not necessarily have to cover 24 hours since no rest time between operation of the load and the PV charging is required The following irradiation profiles are minimum requirements that must be applied better smoother profiles leading to a similar daily sum are also allowed Day with high solar irradiation 6 kWh m day 0 3 kWh m 1 hour at 100 W m 3 hours at 500 W m 4 hours at 700 W m 3 hours at 500 W m 1 hour at 100 W m Day with high solar irradiation 5 kWh m day 0 3 kWh m 1 hour at 100 W m 2 hours at 500 W m 4 hours at 700 W m 2 hours at 500 W m 1 hour at 100 W m Day with low solar irradiation 1 kWh m day 0 3 kWh m 5 hours at 200 W m Perform a visual inspection in accordance with 15 4 16 5 Second capacity test plus autonomy test Disconnect the load after the functional test Set the simulator at 700 W m 50 W m With PV on and light off recharge the battery t
35. ill it has reached regulation HVD for NiMH batteries after the elapsed time stated stated by the lantern manufacturer and stays there for a maximum of 0 5 hours Disconnect the PV module and switch on the lamp Allow the lantern to discharge the battery until it reaches LVD Determine the lantern autonomy Determine the number of Ah discharged from the battery and the total time to discharge This is the Second Usable Battery Capacity UBC2 Allow the battery to remain at LVD for at least 5 hours but not more than 72 hours Page 22 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Perform a visual inspection in accordance with 15 4 16 6 Recovery test Connect the PV module and switch off the lamp Operate the solar simulator with an irradiance profile of a day with high solar irradiation 5 kWh m in accordance with 16 4 Then connect the load as specified by the manufacturer in accordance with clause 10 NOTE The lantern may still have low voltage protection at this time If that is the case disconnect the load again and operate the solar simulator with an irradiance profile of a day with high solar irradiation 5 kWh m in accordance with 16 4 Then connect the load as specified by the manufacturer in accordance with clause 10 Once the load comes on wait until the lantern reaches LVD or the Daily Run Time has passed Repeat this test until the lantern has gone through seven recovery test cycles The lantern has then
36. ime meter or some other means of monitoring e A PV reference device that has been selected and calibrated in accordance with IEC 60904 2 to match the test modules regarding the spectral response e Suitable instrumentation to check that the reference device and the module are co planar to within 5 e Temperature sensors e A means to identify orientation e Automated data acquisition system to facilitate system monitoring during the test Data acquisition system specifications The datalogger shall use at least a 12 bit analog to digital converter and have an input range that exceeds the expected positive and negative maximum voltages The data acquisition system must be reliable if more than 4 hours of data is lost or if any critical data is lost due to power failure during any test then that test shall be restarted The sample rate of the datalogger is dependent on the type of charge controller For ON OFF controllers the datalogger sample rate shall be at least two times faster than the switching period of the controller As an example if the operation of the regulation voltage circuitry is every 10 seconds then the sample rate shall be once every 5 seconds or faster For charge controllers using constant voltage or pulse width modulation circuitry the switching period may be milliseconds not seconds The sampling rate of the datalogger should be at least twice the switching frequency of the charge controller If the sample rat
37. imilar to that defined in IEC 62124 for Solar Home Systems SHS Testing laboratories qualified to test SHS against IEC 62124 have therefore both test equipment and expertise in performing the tests Note 3 For solar lanterns some of the regular functions of the modern charge controller in other standalone PV systems may not be available because of the more simple nature of the solar lantern On the other hand electronic ballast of the lamp may already be included in the electronic circuit Note 4 The scope of this specification is limited to solar lanterns using lead acid or NiMH batteries and fluorescent lamps LED modules are under consideration for a future edition Note 5 Annex D Informative contains design recommendations which are not normative However experience has shown that many of these design aspects are positively correlated to the solar lantern s performance 2 Purpose The purpose of this specification is to verify design performance and durability of portable solar PV lanterns While some of the individual components must be qualified the assembled lantern needs further qualification to ensure that the components operate properly together as specified by the lantern manufacturer The performance test consists of a check of the functionality the autonomy and the ability to recover after periods of low state of charge of the battery and hence gives reasonable assurance that the solar lantern will not fail prematurely
38. itch and PV module connector are able to withstand normal use and do not fail prematurely 12 2 Procedure Subject the switch to an initial electrical resistance measurement test In case the switch has a resistance of more than 20mQ the switch has failed the test Make sure the lantern is fully charged and ready for use a Switch on the lamp in case there is more than one switch use all the switches b Switch off the lamp c Connect the PV module to the lantern housing d Flex the module cable at the connector and disconnect the module from the lantern Repeat the procedure 1 000 times Measure the electrical resistance over the module connection 12 3 Requirements None of the components must show signs of wear that endanger the functionality or cause potential safety hazards The switch must function and the module connector shall not exhibit an electrical resistance value more than 20 mQ Page 14 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 13 Protection against open circuit short circuit and reverse polarity tests 13 1 Open circuit test of the ballast 13 1 1 Procedure A Connect the lamp with the electronic ballast to a regulated power supply Adjust the input voltage to 1 2 times the nominal battery voltage Remove the lamp switch on off twice leave the set up for 1 hour and put the lamp back Wait at least 1 minute Repeat this test twice without waiting for 1 hour Requirement the lantern shall fu
39. ity of battery Apply a voltage equal to 1 2 times the nominal battery voltage to the battery input terminals of the charge controller using a regulated power supply connected with reverse polarity Wait at least 1 minute Observe any irregularities excessive heat smoke fire damaged components etc with the charge controller Requirement the charge controller must withstand the condition without any damage Note battery protection fuses may blow which is a normal situation and does not lead to failure of this test Page 15 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 14 Shipping vibration test 14 1 Purpose The purpose of this test is to identify mechanical weak points and or to ascertain any deterioration of the specified performance According to IEC 60068 2 6 it must be conducted on structural elements or devices which are exposed to harmonic vibrations during shipment such as occur on ships in aircraft and land vehicles 14 2 Requirements Frequency range 10 Hz to 150 Hz Constant amplitude 3 5 mm Constant acceleration 2g Cycling 1 octave min Duration on each axis 2h Total test duration 6h 14 3 Apparatus See IEC 60068 2 6 14 4 Procedure See IEC 60068 2 6 The specimens are packed for shipping and not energised during the test 15 Solar lantern performance tests 15 1 Instrumentation and Equipment Annex B contains a description of the instrumentation and equipment for the solar lantern te
40. mechanical and electrical components and spare replaceable parts e battery safety requirements including replacement procedures e lamp maintenance replacement procedures e installation instructions that ensure proper placement of the PV module e procedures for proper operation including load conservation during periods of inclement weather and or a low voltage disconnect event A checklist that contains what to do in case of a solar lantern failure shall be included The procedures for checking that the PV module is not shaded and how to prevent shading must be explained e maintenance items and Instead of a written user s manual illustrations may be used where appropriate Lantern performance should be specified in e rated average energy supply Wh day e autonomy days without sunshine the lantern can service the load and e hours of use of lamp The above recommendations may be revised and in some cases made mandatory in the light of practical experience 9 Major defects For the purpose of design qualification the following are considered to be major defects e failure of any solar lantern component e browning of any printed circuit board e loss of mechanical integrity to the extent that the operation of the solar lantern would be impaired e deterioration of wiring insulation e electrolyte leakage from the batteries e signs of overheating or corrosion 10 Load specification Many solar lanterns h
41. n recharge the battery till it has reached regulation HVD for NiMH batteries after the elapsed time Page 19 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 stated by the lantern manufacturer Allow the lantern to stay there for a maximum of 0 5 hours Record the number of Ah recharged into the battery 16 4 Lantern functional test This test verifies the lantern can service the load as intended With PV on and light on as specified by the manufacturer in accordance with clause 10 allow the lantern to operate normally for 10 days The following figure gives an overview of the recommended irradiance profiles to be used in the test Page 20 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Daily Irradiance Profiles for Functional Test 10 days Irradiance 1 kWh m 6 kWh m 1 kWh m 1 kWh m 5 kWh m 1 2 3 4 5 Cycles Irradiance 5 kWh m 5 kWh m 5 kWh m 6 kWh m 6 kWh m Cycles Irradiance Win Day with high Day with high Day with low solar irradiation solar irradiation solar irradiation 800 6 kWhim Total 5 kWh m Total 1 kWhim Total 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 67 8 9 10111213 1415161718 7 8 910 111213 14 15 16 17 b 5 Time h Page 21 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Table 1 Cycles of the performance test Cycle Irradiance profile Cycle 1 Day with low irradiation 1 kWh m Cycle 2 Day with high irradiation 6 kWh m Cycle 3 Day with low irrad
42. nal s Soldered fuses on the printed circuit board are also allowed Where fuses of different capacity are installed they shall have clear colour coding or labelling or be of different physical size Page 11 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Fuses shall e be sized per the conductor size and per the component they are protecting as specified by the manufacturer e be marked with rated current voltage and use AC or DC e berated for DC service in DC applications and e have appropriate voltage ratings for the circuit they are protecting Overcurrent devices protecting PV source and output circuits and carrying currents from the PV modules shall be rated for at least 156 of the short circuit current at STC and shall have a voltage rating of at least 125 Voc 7 7 Switch and module connectors Switches suitable for DC use are to be provided on the lantern The switch shall be able to withstand a minimum of 1 000 cycles under load The PV module connector shall be able to withstand a minimum of 1 000 connections cycles A test sequence is provided in clause 12 7 8 System performance tests The solar lantern shall pass the system performance tests described in clause 15 The following pass fail criteria apply 1 The lamp must function at all stages of the test unless the charge controller has disconnected the lamp due to a low battery state of charge LVD 2 The battery capacity shall not decrease ove
43. name signature and date Note to facilitate the start up of testing and certification of Solar Lanterns to PVRS 11A Amendment 1 the above requirement for certification of the Certified Module is replaced until December 31 2008 by testing by an accredited testing laboratory Test reports to IEC 61215 or IEC 61646 or only to the three tests outdoor exposure damp heat and robustness of terminations of IEC 61215 and IEC 61646 must be dated 2006 or later and attached to the present Declaration Page 36 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Annex F Normative Declaration of Compliance Battery The Company XY hereinafter refered to as Company xy hereby declares that the battery that is used for all Solar Lanterns hereinafter referred to as Solar Lantern Battery under the product name name of the Solar Lantern ZZ is produced by a company be it by Company xy itself or by a third party producer hereinafter referred to as Production Company which currently holds quality management system certification issued by an accredited certification body or registrar to ISO 9001 or an equivalent standard or specification The scope of the above certification must include the site s of the Producing Company at which the Solar Lantern Batteries are manufactured for NiMH batteries where the single cells are manufactured The certificate for the quality management system must be attached to the present Declara
44. nction B Connect the electronic ballast to the regulated power supply Do not connect the lamp Adjust the input voltage to 1 2 times the nominal battery voltage wait at least 1 minute and measure the input current Requirement The ballast shall function properly This is normally the case when the input current is not more than 10 mA Note 1 Not all lanterns incorporate electronically controlled ballasts 13 2 Open circuit test of the charge controller 13 2 1 Procedure Apply a voltage equal to 1 25 times the open circuit voltage of the PV module to the PV module input terminals of the charge controller using a regulated power supply Remove the battery Wait at least 1 minute Requirement the charge controller must withstand the condition without any damage In case of removing the battery the PV voltage must not snap through to the load terminals Otherwise the load can be destroyed This means the charge controller must shut down the PV voltage in case of a removed battery 13 3 Reverse polarity test of the charge controller 13 3 1 Procedure for reverse polarity of PV module Apply a voltage equal to 1 5 times the nominal open circuit voltage of the PV module to the PV module input terminals of the charge controller using a regulated power supply connected with reverse polarity Wait at least 1 minute Requirement the charge controller must withstand the condition without any damage 13 3 2 Procedure for reverse polar
45. nd services of PV systems To this end it partners with PV related industries international organizations testing laboratories government agencies financing institutions non governmental organizations and private foundations in developing and developed countries PV GAP co operates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission IEC in respect of standardization principally with IEC Technical Committee N 82 Solar Photovoltaic Energy Systems and certification with the IEC System for Conformity Testing and Certification of Electrical Equipment and Components IECEE PV GAP publishes specifications that have been developed and recommended by experts from the PV industry and other organizations to be used as interim recommended specifications until the corresponding IEC standards can be completed The acceptance of these PV GAP Recommended Specifications is voluntary PV GAP only recommends these specifications but disclaims any liability for their utilization It should be noted that as soon as a corresponding IEC standard is issued the PV GAP Recommended Specification is withdrawn This is announced on the PV GAP website www pvgap org together with information about the new IEC standard The present PV GAP Recommended Specification has been endorsed by the PV GAP Technical Committee and approved by the PV GAP Executive Board Members of the Technical Committee and the Executive Board bodies are listed on t
46. nufactured issued by an accredited certification body or registrar The solar lantern manufacturer shall make a formal declaration in writing model declaration in annex F that only such batteries are used and provide a copy of the ISO 9001 or equivalent certificate and for lead acid batteries the data sheet that includes cylclic endurance at various depths of discharge and is traceable to the battery manufacturer s test data obtained in house or from an independent testing laboratory 7 4 The lamp s The lamp s as specified by the manufacturer and included in the set shall have a type approval certificate from an internationally recognised PV quality system The lamp s shall be certified according to PVRS 7A or to an equivalent national standard 7 5 Protection against open circuit short circuit and reverse polarity The inverter shall be protected against damage from voltage under open circuit conditions for example when the lamp is removed or has failed The charge controller shall be protected against damage from voltage under open circuit conditions when the battery is removed or has failed and from short circuit conditions when the PV module terminals are short circuited The charge controller shall be protected against damage from reverse polarity conditions of battery and PV module 7 6 Fuses and circuit breakers The battery shall be protected against short circuit by a fuse s as close as possible to the battery termi
47. odule characteristics by a set of module operation lines NOTE The vertical line at 11 1 V is the Low Voltage Disconnect LVD and the vertical line at 14 6 V is the High Voltage Disconnect HVD set point for lead acid batteries of the charge controller Different charge controllers including those for NiMH batteries have different set points Page 32 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 C 2 Module simulation procedure The electrical behaviour of the module can be simulated by means of a programmable constant current source Charging of the battery is controlled by the processing unit Inputs current voltage co ordinates for the linear approximation of the module characteristics battery voltage Output module current Depending on the measured battery voltage the current is changed continuously by successive approximation steps until the current voltage operation point fits with the module operation line Operation Current from constant point current source l1 12 Array operation line 13 specified fora PTOC time step PTOC Performance Test under Battery voltage V3 v2 v1 Operation Conditions Figure C 3 Iteration process for current adjustment C 3 Set up for testing The lantern without module s shall be installed in a climatic chamber in case the charge controller uses a separate temperature sensor it is possible to place only the battery in a climatic chamber or a bath Page 33 o
48. r the testing period more than 10 expressed by Co C2 Co lt 10 C is the initial battery capacity and Cz is the final battery capacity 3 Recovery the recovery test should exhibit an upward trend in the system voltage During the recovery test the total net Ah into the battery should be gt 50 of C where C4 is the battery capacity after recovery test 4 After capacity test C4 the load shall begin operating again on or before the third recovery test cycle 5 The System Balance Point see System Characterisation Plot shall match or not exceed the defined minimum irradiation class 6 The measured days of autonomy shall match or exceed the defined minimum days of autonomy as indicated by the manufacturer 7 The lamp shall operate undamaged according to the manufacturer s specification at the maximum battery voltage occurring during periods of high irradiance and at high state of charge 8 No sample shall exhibit any abnormal open circuit or short circuit during the tests 7 9 Visual evidence of a major defect There shall be no visual evidence of a major defect as defined in clause 9 both before and after the components tests as well as the system performance test as described in clause 15 Page 12 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 8 Manual It is recommended that the manual be written in English and the user s language and include e a complete list of the solar lantern s external
49. rature sensors shall have a range exceeding the expected maximum positive and negative system and ambient temperatures and measurement resolution of 1 C or better The temperature measurement accuracy shall be 2 C or better Use IEC 60904 5 At temperature compensation sensor or negative battery terminal Reference device short circuit current and temperature of device range exceeding the maximum expected voltage and the measurement shall have a resolution of 0 01 V or better The current sensors shall have a range exceeding the expected maximum positive and negative current and the measurements shall have a The irradiance sensor shall have a suitable range and an accuracy of at least 5 of the reading Page 29 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 Annex C Normative Determination of the module output for the indoor testing using a PV module simulator NOTE Please be aware that certain PV module simulators may not be compatible with all types of charge controllers due to the internal switching frequencies C 1 Constant current source simulation The following flow diagram explains the steps to be taken to arrive at appropriate settings for a constant current source simulating the PV module Module Data STC NOCT Irradiation Profile Ambient Temperature Procedure for temperature and Irradiation Correction Range of Battery Voltage Set of Array IV Curves P
50. run time of the solar lantern FS full screen HVD high voltage disconnect of the charge controller IEC International Electrotechnical Commission www iec ch IECEE IEC System for Conformity Testing and Certification of Electrotechnical Equipment and Components www iecee org ISO International Organization for Standardization www iso org LCD liquid crystal display LED light emitting diode LVD low voltage disconnect of the charge controller NCB National Certification Body NOCT Nominal Operating Cell Temperature NiMH nickel metal hydride PV solar photovoltaic s PV GAP Global Approval Program for Photovoltaics STC Standard Testing Conditions reference testing value of cell temperature 25 C in plane irradiance 1000 W m7 air mass solar reference spectrum AM 1 5 for PV module or PV cell electrical performance testing UBC usable battery capacity VI visual inspection 5 Testing methods The tests in this specification are performed for conditions of irradiance and temperature that cover a large part of the world where these solar lanterns are being used However these tests can be adapted to meet other specific climatic conditions if those are significantly different from the testing conditions in this specification This solar lantern qualification procedure is based on two series of tests e to test some of the solar lantern components such as the PV module the lamp the manual on off switch th
51. s received the CAC or NCB Certificate The solar lantern manufacturer shall make a formal declaration in writing to this effect model declaration in annex E if the CAC or NCB Certificate does not mention the solar lantern module In case the module does not have a CAC or NCB Certificate and one or more of the above three criteria do not apply the module shall be qualified for solar lantern application following the tests described in clause 11 Note The reason for simplifying some of the requirements for modules of solar lantern is based on the following Solar lanterns are designed for a minimal lifetime of five years or less warranties of only one or two years are common and normally their price tag reflects the lower life expectancy compared to larger systems In view of the different lifetime expectation and the smaller sizes it is justified to reduce some of the severe tests of IEC 61215 and IEC 61646 respectively Therefore the retesting of the module is unnecessary if the module manufacturer already has in the same module family larger modules certified under the IECEE or under an NCB s own certification program 7 3 The battery The battery as specified by the solar lantern manufacturer and included in the set is exempted from testing and certification requirements except that the battery manufacturer shall hold current certification to ISO 9001 for the site s at which the battery for NiMH batteries the single NiMH cells are ma
52. s will tend to overheat leading to brittle and discoloured insulation Any peculiarities observed must be carefully documented in the report clause 20 and if necessary by means of photography Verify that all parts listed on the parts list are present Note any missing system parts that should have been included If essential parts i e parts without which the system cannot go through the testing procedure are missing the system fails the test and shall be sent back to the manufacturer 15 5 Test sequences The following graph indicates the different steps of the system performance test as described in more detail in clause 16 Battery Voltage PV ont Load ff 1 PV off Load On mo i PV off 1 1PVon H Load On H Load On see text 1 continuously 1 PV on Load Off Vreg T lt 0 5 a emer eee af LVD Hold at LVD forat I a t 0 5 hrs ot t t t bia VI Visual Inspection VI VI VI Hold at LVD i for at kast 0 5 hrs loi Sample Test Profile for the solar lantern performance test Various test sequences are applied during the test to verify performance for low discharge battery recovery functionality operation and ability to reach HVD full charge under normal operation in sunny weather even after having been completely discharged UBC Initial Usable Battery Capacity Test Initial capacity test After installing the system charge and discharge the battery
53. sts 15 2 Test documentation In addition to recording all the relevant system data the test operator shall keep relevant test data calculations and appropriate comments An electronic copy of the system data shall be kept for future reference 15 3 Installation Operate the solar lantern according to the manufacturer s instructions For indoor testing a class C or better solar simulator as defined in IEC 60904 9 shall be used 15 3 1 Solar lantern preconditioning Follow the manufacturer s instructions for preconditioning the battery for system operation In the case of a lead acid battery if battery preconditioning is not called for in the solar lantern documentation the battery shall be subjected to e at least five cycles from HVD to LVD in an outdoor test or at least five cycles at C1 for an indoor test Page 16 of 35 PVRS 11A PV GAP 2005 Amendment 1 2009 NOTE Certain advanced charge controllers need a few days cycles to find the optimum settings matching the system design The manufacturer shall state this and the performance test shall be preceded by the prescribed number of cycles PV modules exhibiting light induced degradation e g amorphous silicon shall be subjected to initial light soaking according to IEC 61646 15 3 2 Verify load operation The lamp is an integral part of the solar lantern and the size of the lamp is an important design parameter Lanterns may contain more than one lamp
54. tion together for lead acid batteries with the Production Company s data sheet that includes cyclic endurance of the lead acid battery at various depths of discharge and which is traceable to the battery manufacturer s test data obtained in house or from an independent testing laboratory CEO name signature and date 080212 080305 091231 Page 37 of 35
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