The IEC 60904 series is a European Standard that covers various requirements, test conditions of photovoltaic devices.
BS EN 60904-5 is the fifth part of the EN 60904 series that specifies the preferred method for determining the equivalent cell temperature (ECT) of PV devices for the purposes of comparing their thermal characteristics, determining NOCT (nominal operating cell temperature) and translating measured I-V characteristics to other temperatures.
BS EN 60904-5 is applicable to linear devices with logarithmic VOC dependence on irradiance and in stable conditions. It may be used for all technologies, but one has to verify that there is no preconditioning effect influencing the measurement.
BS EN 60904-5 on open-circuit voltage method for PV devices is useful for:
Temperature measurement is important in PV devices. Testing of PV modules entails monitoring their working temperatures, which have a significant impact on output power.
BS EN 60904-5 provides you the procedure for calculating the equivalent cell temperature of PV devices from their open-circuit voltage methods and helps you standardize the nominal temperature for photovoltaic devices.
Using BS EN 60904-5 guidelines to conduct the open-circuit voltage test, you will be able to identify the electrical potential capability of your PV devices. This helps you to utilize the PV devices optimally and evolve more effective products, leading to a more environment-friendly and sustainable option for power generation.
EN 60904-5:2011
IEC 60904-5:2011