Renewable Energy Test Station (RETS)
TEST PROCEDURES
FOR
SOLAR TUKI
March 2007
A. Test Procedures for Solar Tuki Lamp
S. No.
Test
Parameters
Technical Requirements
Instruments Required
Test Methods
A. SOLAR TUKI LAMPS
L1
Type of LEDS
and their
number
L2
Viewing angle
L3
Luminous
efficiency
L4
Lux Output
L5
Reduction of
output
The Lights must be White
LEDs cluster and each
cluster must consist of
twelve identical high
intensity (2000 mcd, milky
diffused ) WLEDs. These
lamps must include
reflector and cover
A viewing angle of each
WLEDs must be equal or
greater than 2*25o
Visual observation
1.
2.
See the technical specification of WLED supplied by the
manufacturer
Count the number of WLEDS in the Solar Tuki Lamp Sets.
Visual inspection
WLED Specification
See the technical specification supplied by the manufacturer of
White LEDs used in Solar Tuki Lamp Sets.
The luminous efficiency of
WLEDs cluster must not be
less than 20 Lumen/watt.
Lumen sphere specific
for WLED measurement
(Integrating Sphere) and
its accessories, Power
supply, Multimeters, PC
Testing facility not available at RETS Lab currently.
The Lux value at the centre
of circle of 2m diameter
circle with lamps fixed at
2m height from the
illumination surface must
be at least 6 Lux.
The WLED lamps must be
operational for at least 500
hours continuously with
reduction in luminous
efficiency and lux not
Lux Meter, Dark room,
Multimeter, measuring
tape
1.
Power supply, life cycle
board ,Multimeter
Mount lamp at a stand 2 meter height in a dark room with
voltmeter and ammeter in circuit.
2. Keep the Lux meter at centre of 2m diameter circle
perpendicular distance form the WLED of Lamp.
3. Set the power supply for lamp at nominal voltage.
4. Note the reading of Lux meter.
1. Mount lamp (s) in Life Cycle Test bench after initial lumen and
lux measurement
2. Start continuous burning test for 500 hours
3. Note time and character of any failures of lamp (s)
4. After 10000 cycles, test the lamp (s) by test sequence L3 and L4
Test Procedure for Solar Tuki March 2007
2
exceeding 30% of its initial
value
L6
Life cycle
L7
Rated voltage
and current
L8
Resistance of
wires
L9
Luminous
intensity
L10
Colour
Rendering
Index
L11
Reverse
Polarity
The mean time between
failures must not be less
than 50,000 hours.
The value of current at
rated voltage must be
maintained at rated value
for at least one hour of
continuous burning
The combined resistance of
wires, switches, sockets
(between battery terminals
and WLEDs) must not
exceed 20 milli Ohms
excluding dumping
resistor.
Current and luminous
intensity at specified
voltage of individual
WLEDs used in the lamp
must not differ by more
than 10%.
The Colour Rendering
Index (CRI) of the WLEDs
should be not less than 60
at
Correlated
Colour
Temperature
of
5000
degree Kelvin.
and note the reduction in initial lumen and lux output
Visual Inspection
Power supply,
Multimeter
Visual Inspection of specification provided by the manufactures of
WLED used in Lamp sets mentioning operational for at least 50,000
burning hours.
1. Switch ON the lamp for one hour at rated voltage of lamp
2. Take reading of current initially and at every 20 minutes
3. Note the difference in value of current
RLC Meter
1. Bypass WLEDs and Keep RLC meter in the path of wires,
switches, sockets (between battery terminals and WLEDs ).
2. Check the resistance value of the path.
Lumen sphere specific
for WLED measurement
(Integrating Sphere) and
its accessories, Power
supply, Multimeters, PC
Full Testing facility not available in RETS Lab currently.
Visual Inspection
Visually inspect the specification provided by the WLED lamp
manufacturer for the CRI value at specified temperature.
Lamp must be protected Power Supply,
Multimeter
1. Connect the lamp to the power supply with zero voltage with
reverse polarity
Test Procedure for Solar Tuki March 2007
3
L12
Height of lamp
L13
Workman Ship
L14
Casing
Mechanical
Strength
against reverse polarity.
2. Increase the voltage to nominal voltage slowly
3. Test the lamp in normal operation
Height of lamp using Measuring tape
NiMH or Li-ion battery
must be within the range of
10 inches to 15 inches
The lamp and its enclosure Visual Inspection
should
display
good
workmanship and should
provide protection against
dust, oil, and smoke.
Metal box or molded Visual Inspection
plastic must be used as
light casing.
Measure the height of lamp
Inspect the lamp for protections against dust, water, oil and smoke
Check the casing of the lamp
Test Procedure for Solar Tuki March 2007
4
B.
Test Procedures for Battery, Battery Mounting and Charge controller.
No.
Test Items
Technical Requirements
Instruments
Required
B1
Type of
battery
The battery must be maintenance Visual inspection
free rechargeable Nickel Metal
Hydride or Lithium ion or VRLA
(with control circuit) matching
with specified module.
1. Visual inspection of specification of battery used in solar tuki
lamps sets provided by the company.
B2
Voltage of
battery
For each WLED based lamp, Visual inspection
NiMH or Li-ion must be of 3.6 V
and VRLA battery must be of 12
V
Visual inspection of specification of battery used in solar tuki
lamps sets provided by the company.
B3
Battery
Capacity
Visual inspection
,
Power Supply,
Electronic load,
PC with data
logger,
Programmable
Logical
Controller (PLC),
Multimeter,
Water bath,
2. The deviation of battery Temperature
Probe
capacity from its rated capacity
(Thermocouple)
stated by the manufacturer
must not exceed the limit of 10% to +10% (minus 10% to
1. In case of NiMH and Li-ion
battery, nominal capacity
expressed in C5 discharge
rate at 20oC must be at least
2300mAh. In case of VRLA
battery, nominal capacity
expressed in C10 discharge
rate at 20oC must be at least
4Ah
Test Methods
VRLA or NiMH / Li-ion
1. Inspect visually the capacity of the battery
2. Charge the battery to its full charge (100 % SOC) with the
5- hour rate or 10-hour rate or 20 hour rate current
(in which rate the battery capacity is provided) or Charge
the battery to its full charge (100% SOC) as per the
Manufacturer’s instruction.
The battery is considered fully charged when during
Charging at constant current, the observed terminal voltage
remains constant at least for 10 minutes.
3. Place the battery in a water bath maintained at20°C or 25°C
4. Set the upper and lower limit of the battery voltage
corresponding to 100 % and 0 % SOC in the controller of
battery test arrangement
5. Discharge the battery at the 5 hour rate or 10 hour rate or 20
hour rate (in which rate the battery capacity is provided)
until the battery terminal voltage reaches 1 V (NIMH) or
10.8 V (VRLA) unless otherwise specified by the
Test Procedure for Solar Tuki March 2007
5
plus 10%).
manufacturer.
6. Battery terminal voltage, time, temperature of electrolyte are
logged using data logger and PC
7. Compute Capacity at 25°C using the following relation:
Capacity in Ah = discharging current (A) X discharging
time (hr)
8. If the temperature during discharge differs from the
reference temperature of 25°C, the measured capacity shall
be corrected to 25°C by the application of the following
formula:
Ca = Ct / (1+ λ (t – 25)) Ah
Where Ca = actual capacity at the reference temp of 25°C
Ct = measured capacity at average temperature t°C
The temperature coefficient of capacity shall be taken as
0.006 unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer
Repeat the test (1 to 8) for maximum of 5 cycles
9. If the capacity observed is within the range of technical
requirement at any cycle before 5th cycle, that value of
capacity shall be taken as initial capacity (C) of the battery.
Further test shall not be carried out.
Visual
Observation of
specification of
provided by the
manufacturer’s
B4
Battery life
cycle
Operational life cycle of the
battery must be at least 500 cycles
at 50% DoD
B5
Minimum
Information
The
following
minimum Visual Inspection
information must be included in
the label of the battery:
1. The battery which has satisfied the requirements of capacity
test shall be tested for the life cycle test
2. Charge the battery to 100% SOC as in B2 or as per the
manufacturer’s instruction
3. Set the upper and lower limit of the battery voltage
corresponding to 50% and 0% DOD in the controller of
battery life cycle tester
4. Place the battery in the water bath
5. Perform the test for required no of cycles
6. Follow the accelerated test , if required
Inspect visually for following things in the label of the battery:
Brand and name of the manufacturer , Model and type, Rated
capacity in Ampere-hours at the discharge rate C20 or C10 or C5,
Nominal voltage in Volt
• Brand and name of the
Test Procedure for Solar Tuki March 2007
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manufacturer
• Model and type
• Rated capacity in Amperehours at the discharge rate
C5 or C10
• Nominal voltage in Volt
B6
Battery
connector
B7
Provision for
Battery over
charge and
under charge
protection
B8
Voltage
Threshold
The battery connector resistance
must not exceed 5 mill-ohms and
must be rust free type in case of
NiMH and LI-ion battery
Charge controller with over
charge protection features must
be used in Nickel Metal Hydride
or Lithium ion or for VRLA
battery both over charge and deep
discharge protection features
should be used.
RLC meter
Measure the resistance value of battery connector using RLC
meter.
Visual inspection
of
manufacturer’s
claim
Visually observe the provision for battery over charge and
undercharge protection in the charge-controller used in Solar
Tuki Lamp Sets.
Charge controller must have
HVD of 4.4 - 4.6V in case of
Nickel Metal Hydride or Lithium
ion battery and in case of VRLA
battery HVD must be in the range
of 14 – 14.4 V.
Adjustable
Power Supply,
Ammeter,
Voltmeter ,
Oscilloscope,
Variable Resistor
or Electronic
load
LVD & LVR
1. Adjust the DC power supply (battery simulator) output
voltage at the nominal voltage of the battery
2. Adjust the output current of the charge controller (Load
current) to 50% of the rated value with the variable resistor
(VR) or electronic load
3. Decrease the voltage of the DC power supply gradually till
the controller switches off the load connection automatically
by indicating zero current through the ammeter (A), and note
down the corresponding voltage in the voltmeter (V). This
voltage is the Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD).
4. Increase the voltage of the DC power supply gradually until
the battery is connected to the load again as indicated by the
current through the ammeter (A), and note down the
corresponding voltage in the voltmeter (V). This is the Load
Reconnect Voltage (LVR).
For VRLA battery, LVD must be
in the range of 11.4 - 11.8 V and
LVR must not be less than 12.5V
Test Procedure for Solar Tuki March 2007
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B9
Charge
controller
Type
Charge controller used in Solar
Tuki Lamp Sets must be Pulse
width Modulation (PWM)Type
Power Supplies,
Multimeters,
Oscilloscope,
resistor
HVD
1. Adjust the voltage of DC power supply1 (Module simulator)
to module open circuit voltage, and current to nominal
charging current.
2. Adjust the electronic load at 50% of max. input current of
charge controller
3. Adjust the voltage of the DC power supply2 (battery
simulator) to the battery nominal voltage, and increase it
gradually.
4. Note down the voltage at power supply2 when the charge
controller switches off the connection between the PV input
and battery input i.e. open circuit (or short-circuits the PV
array for a shunt-type controller).
Shunt PWM
1. Insert Ammeter and oscilloscope probe at power supply 1 (PV
module simulator).
2. The oscilloscope will show voltage pulse waveform. The
HVD value is obtained when the voltage at PV input stays
constant at zero.
3. Note down the voltage at power supply2. This is the HVD
value.
Series PWM
1. Connect 1Ohm, 10W resistor in series connection from the
power supply 1 (module simulator) and connect Oscilloscope
probe across that resistor as depicted in figure
2. When it almost reaches HVD, the charging current indicated
by the ammeter (A) will start to decrease and the oscilloscope
will show voltage pulse waveform. The HVD value is
obtained when the charging current is zero.
Note: Follow the instructions of the manufacturer during the testing of deep cycle battery, if any.
Test Procedure for Solar Tuki March 2007
8
C.
Test Procedures for PV modules
No.
Test Items
Technical Requirements
P1
Module Types and
Certification
The PV module must be of the Mono
Crystalline Silicon Type or Poly
Crystalline Silicon Type
P2
Test Methods
PVPM curve
tracer ( Module
Tester)
1.
Maximum Rated
Power (Wp)
The peak power rating of PV module
must be 5Wp. The deviation of maximum
power from its nominal values stated by
the manufacturer must not exceed the
limit of -10% to +20% (minus 10% to
plus 20%) at STC.
Minimum
Information
A nameplate must be mounted on the PV
module frame containing the following
details: Brand and name of the
manufacturer, Maximum power in Watt
Peak, Maximum rated voltage in Volt,
Maximum rated current in Ampere,
Supplier company engrave number
Maximum Rated
Voltage (V)
The rated voltage (Vmp) must be greater
than by 20% of end of charge voltage of
battery system at STC
Visual Inspection
in junction box
Visual Inspection
Warranty Period
The warranty period of Solar PV Module
must be at least 10 years against
maximum 20% reduction in output power
at STC.
IEC or Equivalent
certificate
The PV module must be used from the
PV module manufacture that has IEC
certification in its larger sized module
P3
P4
Instruments
Required
Visual Inspection
P5
P6
Visual Inspection
Visual Inspection
Make observation to distinguish the type of Module under
test.
Mount reference PV module and reference sensor in the
same plane of orientation facing the sun
2. Mount electrical wiring from module to PV tester
3. Wait at least 5 minutes for temperature stabilization
4. Run the PV-tester
5. Replace reference PV module by PV module to be tested
6. Repeat test from 1 to 4
7. If irradiance is less than 500 W/m2 reject the result
8. Transfer data to PC for printout of results
9. Compute the deviation of the parameters measured at
STC.
Inspect visually the name plate mounted on PV module for
following things:
Brand and name of the manufacturer, Maximum power in
Watt Peak, Maximum rated voltage in Volt, Maximum rated
current in Ampere, Supplier company engrave number
Calculate Vmp reading to find out that the module output
voltage is above 20% of end of charge voltage of battery at
STC condition.
Check the certificate or document provided.
Check the IEC or equivalent national, regional or
international certification of the type of module in its larger sized
module.
Test Procedure for Solar Tuki March 2007
9
D.
1.1
1.1.1
1.1.2
1.1.3
1.1.4
1.1.5
1.1.6
1.1.5
Sampling
Sampling Procedure
The manufacturer will provide written information about quantity of products,
brand, type, model, serial number and appearance of the products in a lot to be
tested.
When satisfied with the check, RETS will randomly select the samples from the lot
in case of Random Sampling. In case of Product Introduction Test (PIT), the
manufacturer should submit at least one sample to RETS.
There must be minimum of 300 and maximum of 1000 populations in lot size for
random sampling test.
There must be proper label as per technical standard of Solar Tuki: 2063 in the
samples
Manufacturer / supplier must submit the IEC certificate, Warranty of PV modules
and duly filled reception form at the time of sampling.
After the agreement signed between the manufacturer / supplier and RETS, these
samples will be taken to the testing institution (RETS).
The lot size, sample size and acceptable defective number of samples for Solar
Tuki system shall be as given in the table below:
Lot Size, Sample Size and Acceptable Defective Number
Table
Lot Size
Sample Size
Acceptable Defectives
Number
300 - 500
5
1
501 - 1000
10
2
1.6
RETS will issue the test report in 30 days from the date of testing.
E.
Compliance with Technical Standard for solar Tuki (TSST) 2063
All the samples shall be subjected to whole of the test criteria as per Technical Standard of
solar Tuki (TSST) 2063. All samples must fulfil all the mandatory requirements of TSST for
the samples to be compliance with TSST. However, the acceptable defective number of
samples for a given lot size is as depicted in the table.