New Industry Products

Concentrix Solar Wins IEC Certification for New CPV Module

January 31, 2010 by Jeff Shepard

Concentrix Solar, a supplier of Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) systems and a new division of the Soitec Group, a worldwide supplier of engineered substrates, announced that the company has received IEC certification 62108 for its CX-75 FLATCON(R) module generation.

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) describes itself as the world’s leading electrical and electronic standards organization. IEC 62108 is the CPV industry’s standard, ensuring that modules and assemblies are suitable for long-term operation in a wide range of outdoor climates. According to Concentrix, by producing the CX-75 module in the company’s industry-leading, fully-automated production line in Freiburg, Germany, the company states that it is uniquely able to ensure consistent, highest-precision manufacturing in high volumes – a critical factor in ensuring high nominal ac system efficiency and long-term reliability.

"The IEC 62108 certificate is an important milestone, confirming that our new CX-75 module is ready for full, commercial deployment in utility-scale electricity production," said Concentrix Solar CEO, Hansjorg Lerchenmuller. "It attests that our systems are capable of withstanding prolonged exposure in harsh climates and are designed to withstand severe environmental conditions such as rain, hail and high winds."

The IEC 62108 standard specifies the requirements for the design qualification and type approval of CPV modules and assemblies suitable for long-term operation in demanding outdoor conditions. Since 2009, it has been the standard for the certification of CPV modules. According to the testing standards for conventional PV modules, the IEC 62108 norm simulates environmental conditions and influences for CPV modules to verify the performance reliability and aging resistance. This includes, among other things, testing of hail impact, mechanical load, insulation and wet insulation as well as outdoor exposure.