IEC Technical Specification 62804-1 Revised

IEC TS 62804-1:2015(E) defines procedures to test and evaluate the durability of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules to the effects of short-term high-voltage stress including potential-induced degradation (PID). Two test methods are defined that do not inherently produce equivalent results. They are given as screening tests; neither test includes all the factors existing in the natural environment that can affect the PID rate. The methods describe how to achieve a constant stress level. The testing in this Technical Specification is designed for crystalline silicon PV modules with one or two glass surfaces, silicon cells having passivating dielectric layers, for degradation mechanisms involving mobile ions influencing the electric field over the silicon semiconductor, or electronically interacting with the silicon semiconductor itself.