Suntech announced that its modules received the VDE certification of the enhanced hail test, demonstrating the high quality and durability of Suntech’s modules in extreme weather conditions.¹ Suntech hopes to use this recent certification to lay the foundation for entry into markets that face unfavorable weather conditions, yet are eager to adopt solar solutions.

 

“The cells of PV modules will have micro-cracks if used in areas that experience frequent hail storms, which is detrimental to module performance and long-term reliability,” Xiong Haibo, CEO of Suntech, explained. “The ranking  highlights that our modules exceed market requirements and demonstrates that Suntech follows the market demand. The certification also indicates that Suntech modules can maintain excellent performance, high-quality and safety standards even in extreme weather conditions."

 

Established in 1920, the VDE Institute is one of the world’s leading testing and certification institutions. It is well-known globally as an international accredited institution for testing various electro technical equipment and appliances. The VDE’s standards exceed existing industry quality requirements.

 

“At present, most manufacturers have passed the hail test based on the standard IEC61215, which uses hails of 25mm in diameter to hit the surface of modules, producing about 1.99J of energy during the test," Dr. Han Qiang, VDE’s general manager, Shanghai, explained. "Yet, the VDE test, uses hail of 40mm in diameter, the 4th level of hail test in accordance with Swiss standards, which uses hail at a speed of 27.5m/S to hit the modules, producing energy no less than 11.1J, which simulates extreme environmental conditions. The results revealed that Suntech’s modules have nearly no power loss and completely meet the enhanced standard requirements, indicating that they have an excellent ability to withstand hail impact performance even in extreme weather circumstances.”