The U.S. Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) has given the solar test center of TÜV Rheinland accreditation for the testing of solar thermal collectors. Among the only eight laboratories in the world that can test solar collectors according to the SRCC standard OG-100, TÜV Rheinland in Cologne specializes in testing efficiency and reliability.

There is a high demand among manufacturers for testing and certification according to the SRCC standard OG-100, and with this accreditation the service spectrum of the Cologne solar laboratory will be significantly extended. Another comprehensive standard used for testing solar thermal collectors is the ISO 9806 standard, which includes a pressure test subjecting collectors to 1.5 times the maximum allowable working pressure, 30-day long test in open-air, and moisture test. Resistance to stress is also tested by subjecting the collectors to one hour of sunlight and then spraying or filling them with cold water. The first round of collectors has reached the final phases of testing and close to being certified.

The technical testing of components on a laboratory scale was started by TÜV in 1995, since then the company has become one of the leaders on the market. The Cologne outside test field measures 800 square meters, along with the 1,800 square meter laboratory. Real weather conditions are used to test all photovoltaic modules at the test field location in Italy…