Solar modules from German PV solar cell manufacturer have past a series of durability tests that include withstanding wind speeds of up to 240km/h.
Tested at the James Cook University’s Cyclone Testing Station (CTS) in Townsville, Queensland, the Hanwha Q Cells Q.Pro-G3 modules were subjected to decreasing and increasing pressure to mimic the effects of a tropical cyclone.
A maximum pressure reading of 7kPa was applied in a total of 10,360 cycles.
The CTS undertook two types of testing to ascertain module strength, a static and a dynamic test. In the first test, pressure was increasingly applied onto the backside of the modules until it collapsed. The second test simulated the effects of dynamic loads by alternately pushing and releasing pressure onto the back of the module, while increasing the pressure, as reported by PV Tech.
In 2006, Category 5 storm Tropical Cyclone Larry passed through Far North Queensland, with wind gusts reaching 240km/h, causing more than $1.5 billion in damage. Hanwha noted the Q.Pro-G3 modules would have survived the cyclonic conditions caused by Cyclone Larry.
