Standardization as an Instrument to Accelerate the Development of Stable Emerging Photovoltaic Technologies—The IEC TS 62876-2-1:2018—Technical Specification for the Stability Testing of Photovoltaic Devices Enabled by Nanomaterials

Abstract

For new photovoltaic (PV) technologies the improvement and quantification of stability is a significant challenge. Accelerated aging tests are usually applied to shorten development times. While many of these tests exist, there is no standard that can serve as a guideline for choosing relevant tests and applying them correctly to achieve comparability between results. With the IEC TS 62876-2-1:2018 for the first time, a standard has been developed which defines the most significant testing protocols for stability. This standard is designed especially for third-generation PV technologies that utilize nanomaterials but may be applied to any other new PV technologies as well. The standard defines the relevant stresses, recommends values for testing, defines seven standard tests, and provides reporting requirements for documentation. As a stability criterion the time t80, the time it takes for a measured efficiency of a device to reach 80% of the initial efficiency during the testing, is applied. A wide adoption of the tests outlined in the IEC TS 62876 significantly shortens development times and decreases the time to market for emerging PV technologies.