Applied Materials, Inc. has been awarded certification by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for its single and tandem junction PV modules. Standards 61646 and 61730 involve safety testing of PV modules under severe environmental conditions, and the stamp of approval for the products from the IEC will aid in shortening time-to-market for the modules as well as speeding up the certification process for Applied’s customers.
The testing of the modules, which involved such conditions as long-term exposure to sunlight, extreme temperatures, wind and precipitation, was carried out by TÜV Saarland of Germany. The 1.1m x 1.3m modules are the most commonly installed module size, with the company’s 5.7m2 modules comprising four of these smaller modules. Certification of these 5.7m2 utility-scale modules is expected within the first half of 2009.
“IEC certification is recognized around the world as the gold standard for solar PV,” said Dr. Randhir Thakur, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Applied Materials’ SunFab Thin Film Solar and Display Business Group. “Achieving this milestone demonstrates our commitment to enabling our customers’ success and validates the performance of our single and tandem junction technologies and integrated production line processes.”