The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Sandia National Labs have created a new nomenclature for PV connectors to reduce confusion among installers and developers, while the implementation practices are improved. They cataloged a sample of twenty -five commercially available 4 mm connectors.
A group of researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Sandia National Laboratories of the US Department of Energy has created a standardized terminology for PV connectors in an attempt to reduce confusion and offer best practices for their implementation.
In the study “Standardized nomenclature for photovoltaic connectors“Which was recently published in Solar energyThe scientists explained that terms such as “MC4-Compatibel” and “Cross-Making” are often a source of potential installation errors.
“Given the crucial role of PV connectors and the consequences of their failures, the authors of this article believe that a common understanding of connector components and their functions is essential,” the scientists stated and noted that there is currently no common language to define the components or their functions. “The current lack of standardization can cause confusion and possibly lead to incorrect installations, diagnoses or maintenance practices.”
Their work initially consisted of quantifying the existing nomenclature and then suggesting conditions for components without misleading implications. They then created a catalog of twenty-five 4 mm PV connectors that are available on the market.
For their survey, including 33 respondents from the PV industry and the scientific community, they used publicly available product documents from 20 manufacturers and data from the International Photovoltaic Quality Assurance Task Force (PVQAT).
The manufacturer’s documents consisted of schedules, datashes, installation manuals, catalogs and relevant patents.
The proposed terms were chosen on the basis of their functionality, avoiding confusion, prevalence of use and effectiveness.
“Feedback van installateurs en O & M-personeel werd sterk overwogen in discussies over de effectiviteit van de terminologie,” specificeerde het onderzoeksteam, eraan toevoegend dat hun focus lag op belangrijke componenten zoals behuizingen, vergrendelingslip, vergrendelingsleuf, O-ring, kliermoer, kabelbevel, kabelafdichting, pin, pin, contactveer, contactbein, contactpersoon, contactpersoon, contactpersoon, Contact person, contact person, contact person, contact person, contact and cable crimp.
Their work also included identifying those terms that could possibly cause confusion and suggest that they cannot be used.
“Our hope is that the solar industry will assume this recommended nomenclature to improve communication and reduce misunderstandings that can lead to unintended adverse consequences,” the academics concluded.
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