Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. (Hanwha SolarOne, or the Company) (Nasdaq:HSOL), a top-10 global photovoltaic manufacturer of high-quality, cost-competitive solar modules, has passed the transport packaging tests in compliance with the new draft standard IEC 62759-1 “Transportation testing of photovoltaic (PV) modules”. German test institute TÜV Rheinland officially presented Hanwha SolarOne with the transport packaging certificate today (June 4), in the framework of the Intersolar Europe exhibition. Hanwha SolarOne is among the first solar module manufacturers to pass the new draft norm requirements.

During transport and handling, solar modules are exposed to shocks and vibrations that can have a damaging effect on fragile solar cells, thereby reducing the power output of the module. In order to minimize the risk of damage, Hanwha SolarOne has developed an innovative packaging system that efficiently protects the fragile solar cells.

The positive effect of the Hanwha Solar packaging system has already been demonstrated through deliveries at challenging locations worldwide. To obtain an official evaluation of the transport packaging, Hanwha Solar assigned the experienced German test house TÜV Rheinland to carry out an advanced qualification series.

“The transport simulation in the laboratory covers vibrations as well as rough handling impacts for the pallet, including the solar modules,” explains Florian Reil, Business Field Manager for Solar Energy at TÜV Rheinland. “In addition to the international test standard requirements, we have defined strong pass/fail-criteria for the test sequences. If the test results are well within the threshold values as specified through our certification system, it can be concluded that risks of damage and power degradation from transport impacts on solar modules are considerably reduced in both the short and long term. The pallet and PV modules of Hanwha SolarOne passed all test sequences, demonstrating the protective effect of the transport packaging system.”

The certification process consists of several steps. Firstly, the sample is exposed to a vibration test, including simulations of shocks from road transport or acceleration procedures during cornering or braking. Even serious effects such as a shipping unit being knocked over by a fork lift are taken into consideration. Following the transportation simulation, the solar modules go through a check for possible damages, which includes a visual inspection, EL imaging and STC measurements, as well as dry and wet insulation testing. In order to identify possible long-term effects, advanced ageing and load tests involving processes such as wind-load simulation and the application of thermo-mechanical loads are carried out in TÜV Rheinland laboratories.

Throughout the process, possible power degradation is analyzed and evaluated. In addition, quality management aspects concerning the package and the traceability of the materials are included within the certification.

Source: Hanwha SolarOne/hanwha-solarone.com

Picture: Hanwha SolarOne Awarded New Transport Packaging Certificate: Seongwoo Nam, CEO – Hanwha SolarOne, and Willi Vaaßen, Head of Business Unit Solarenergy – TÜV Rheinland.