Outdoor Module Testing (OMT)

SERIS’ OMT facility for high-precision outdoor performance testing of PV modules under tropical climate conditions (Singapore)

SERIS has a strong track record in accurate long-term DC measurements of PV module performance in real-life outdoor conditions in tropical Singapore. The service has been very well received by both module manufacturers and potential investors.

Before being installed at SERIS' Outdoor Module Testing (OMT) facility, each PV module undergoes "flash testing" at standard test conditions (STC), pre-conditioning for 5 days (outdoor exposure) for silicon wafer based technologies - or as per manufacturer’s recommendation for the various thin-film technologies, followed by a second flash testing at STC. This procedure not only determines the initial degradation / stable power generation, but also leads to a reliable "actual" wattage of the modules, which is then used as the "baseline" (rather than the "nominal" name plate value) for any yield data that relate to the installed capacity.

Reported data (available in intervals as short as 10 seconds) include:

• In-plane irradiance (using a calibrated c-Si sensor)
• Ambient temperature
• Module temperature (measured at the backsheet)
• DC characteristics: V_oc,V_mpp, I_sc, I_mpp, P_mpp
• Cumulative energy yield

Additional environmental parameters (e.g. wind speed and direction, global irradiance in horizontal plane, relative humidity) can also be measured.

As part of the periodical reports, customers also receive the full set of measured raw data.

In addition to the results obtained on their own modules, customers can also select to get access to additional benchmark comparisons of up to 7 different commercially available PV module technologies (several thin-film technologies and several types of silicon wafer based technologies).