International and Domestic Solar Thermal Testing Standards

Presented By: Paul O’BrienDate: 13/11/2012

Summary

• International accreditation schemes• Market size• AS/NZS 2712:2007• ISO 9806• EN 12975:2006

International accreditation schemes

Australia• Certification to AS/NZS 2712• Rebates (STCs) through Clean

Energy Regulator

New Zealand• Certification to AS/NZS 2712• Rebates through Energy

Efficiency and Conversation Authority (EECA)

International accreditation schemes

United States of America

• Certification through SRCC

• Collectors require testing to: • Standard 100 – Glazed & unglazed

collectors• Standard 150 – Innovative solar

collectors• Standard 600 – Concentrating

collectors

• Systems require testing to: • Standard 300

International accreditation schemes

European Union• Certification through the Solar

Keymark Scheme• Requires testing to:

• Collectors - EN 12975:2006• Systems - EN 12976:2006

• 10 Certification Bodies throughout Europe empowered to issue Solar Keymark licences.

International accreditation schemes

• All national subsidy schemes and regulations in the EU accept the Solar Keymark with a few exceptions where some additional requirements may apply.

Solar Thermal Market Size

• In 2010 42.2 GWth (60.2 mil m2) installed worldwide

• 3.93 GWth in Europe • 0.95 GWth in US &

Canada• 0.76 GWth in

Australia

1. REN21. 2012. Renewables 2012, Global Status Report

2. Weiss W. & Mauthner F., Solar heat worldwide, SHC IEA, 2012 Edition

Solar Thermal Market Size

• United states has predominantly been unglazed market and accounted for 60% of global pool heater installations in 2010. Glazed market is relatively small for its population size but is growing with installations increasing 6% in 2010.

1. REN21. 2012. Renewables 2012, Global Status Report

2. Weiss W. & Mauthner F., Solar heat worldwide, SHC IEA, 2012 Edition

Solar Thermal Market size

AS/NZS 2712 – Collector Testing

• Stagnation• Impact resistance• Glass breakage• Protection against ingress of

water• Structural requirements• Thermal performance

– AS/NZS 2535:2007 Thermal performance of glazed liquid heating collectors including pressure drop (ISO9806-1:1994, MOD)

– AS/NZS 4234:2008 Heated water systems – Calculation of energy consumption

AS/NZS 2712 – System Testing

• Protection against freezing• No-load system performance• System thermal performance

ISO 9806: Test methods for solar collectors

ISO 9806-1:1994 – Thermal performance of glazed liquid heating collectors including pressure drop

ISO 9806-2 :1995 – Qualification test procedures

ISO 9806-3 :1995 - Thermal performance of unglazed liquid heating collectors (sensible heating collectors only) including pressure drop

ISO 9806-1, ISO 9806-3

• Requirements for steady state performance testing either outdoors or in a solar simulator.

• Unglazed collector testing also accounts for variation in wind speed in the efficiency equation.

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25

(tm - ta)/G (m2 K/W)

Inst

anta

neou

s Eff

icie

ncy

(%)

Evacuated tubeno reflector

Unglazed

Flat plate black absorber

Flat plate selective absorber

Evacuated tubewith reflector

ISO 9806-2

• Internal pressure• High temperature resistance (optional for SRCC)• Exposure• External thermal shock• Internal thermal shock• Rain penetration (optional for SRCC)• Freeze resistance (optional for SRCC)• Impact resistance (optional)• Thermal performance

EN 12975 & EN 12976

• EN 12975-2: Solar thermal systems and components - Solar collectors

– Outlines collector testing for durability, reliability and performance

• EN 12976-2: Solar thermal systems and components - Factory made systems

– Outlines system testing such as over-temperature, freeze protection, aging of thermostatic valves as well as requirements

EN 12975

• Internal pressure• High temperature resistance• Exposure• External thermal shock• Internal thermal shock• Rain penetration• Freeze resistance• Mechanical load• Impact resistance (optional)• Thermal performance

– Steady state or quasi-dynamic method

Main differences

AS/NZS 2712 ISO 9806-2 EN 12975

Scope Collectors and systems

Collector only Collector only

Test order Sequence testing required on some tests

Sequence testing Sequence testing

Durability/ reliability tests

Different in most tests Similar to EN 12975 Similar to ISO 9806- 2 + mechanical load testing

Performance No requirements on testing previous to performance testing

Performance testing after sequencing

Performance testing after preconditioning

Standards committees

• ISO 9806 is currently being revised by a Joint European and International Standards committee incorporating ISO 9806 and EN 12975. This also incorporates testing for larger range of collector types. International standardisation of testing

• Vipac committee representation– Australian Standards committee CS-028 - Solar Water

Heaters– Australian Standards committee EL-020 Electric Water

Heating Appliances – International Standards committee ISO TC180 - Solar

Energy.

• Physical testing of solar collector mounting system wind loading (AS/NZS 1170.2)

Summary

• SRCC accredit Solar collectors and systems in USA• Solar Keymark is accreditation scheme for solar

collectors and systems in Europe• Similarities and differences across range of testing

between the three countries.

Thank you

• Any questions?