ABSTRACT
Performing electrical tests, including handling and probing, have been manual tasks in Photovoltaic (PV) module production lines up to this time. Evaluations were recently completed on a new automated system developed at Spire Corporation for performing tests on PV modules. The system performs tests for electrical isolation (hi-pot), ground continuity, and electrical performance (I-V measurement with a solar simulator) of PV modules. The equipment also includes automation for transporting, aligning, and probing modules. A number of tests were done to validate the performance of the integrated test system. System cycle times were measured to indicate the throughput of the automated system. As the PV industry grows and production levels increase, the ability to perform these tests with an automated system offers a means for reducing production cost and increasing throughput.
