Mahindra Susten Mobile PV Lab, India's First, Completes 1 GWp of Testing

MUMBAI, September 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

India's first mobile solar photovoltaic (PV) testing lab, designed and developed by Mahindra Susten recently completed a milestone 1 GWp of plant testing. Mahindra Susten is part of the $20.7 billion Mahindra Group and one of the largest renewable energy companies in India with a growing global presence.

The Mobile PV Lab offers revolutionary technology which is unique in Asia. It is a one-stop mobile solution, which allows performance analysis of Solar PV modules, which constitute nearly 70% of the investment for a new Solar PV plant, at the site itself. The testing procedure used in the lab ensures reliability and repeatability in line with standard procedures, leading to similar or better results than any stationary laboratory.

The lab has been accredited with ISO/IEC 17025:2005 certification from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, an autonomous society providing recognition for technical competence during testing and calibration work. It has Mutual Recognition Arrangements with several organizations including the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC), Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA), and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

The reports generated from the NABL accredited PV labs are at par with the ILAC and APLAC certifications and are accepted in 73 countries. Results from the tests conducted in the Mahindra Susten lab are useful to all stakeholders, be they developers, lenders, manufacturers, EPC companies or even O&M companies, since the results are an important decision-making tool in case of warranty claims against PV module manufacturers or even just to ensure the health and proper functioning of the PV equipment.

The lab, since its launch at the REI Expo 2017, has completed over 1 GWp (1000 MWp) of testing, travelling over 21,000 kms till date. It is capable of performing all the testing required on the Solar PV module at the site. This provides customers with complete peace of mind, no risk of breakage, immediate reports and value for money.

Key tests that can be performed by this mobile lab include -
Flash Tests: Used to measure the I-V characteristics of PV Module in STC (Standard Test Conditions) to bring out the degradation results.

EL Test: This test gives results similar to X-Ray reports, without the use of any radiation. It is used to highlight cell-level faults and micro cracks within the module. The working principle is that of photo-emission measured by an infrared light-sensitive camera.

Infrared Imaging: This is a common but very effective tool, which measures abnormal thermal behaviour of modules during DC parameter measurements. It is used to find hotspots in modules. The same Thermal Imager can also be used to identify any loose connections and abnormal behaviour in other equipment like Combiner Boxes, Inverters, Transformers and Panels which constitute the Solar PV plant.

More details related to lab can be accessed at http://www.mahindrasusten.com/o-and-m.php

About Mahindra Susten
Mahindra Susten is a portfolio company of Mahindra Partners, the USD 1 Billion private equity division of the USD 20.7 Bn Mahindra and Mahindra Group. Mahindra Susten offers diversified services within the Cleantech space. A leading player in the Renewable Energy sector, with 3200 MWp Solar projects at various stages of execution. Mahindra Susten's services spans turnkey Solar EPC services, including both Utility Scale Solar and Rooftop Solar, MSAT 100 Single Axis Tracker, Solar DG Hybrid solutions, Solar products, Telecom tower solarization, Solar PV O&M and Analytics, Engineering services and sustainable Design Build Solutions for industrial construction. For further details on any of the solutions provided by Mahindra Susten, please visit http://www.mahindrasusten.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About Mahindra
The Mahindra Group is a USD 20.7 billion federation of companies that enables people to rise through innovative mobility solutions, driving rural prosperity, enhancing urban living, nurturing new businesses and fostering communities. It has a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world's largest tractor company, by volume. It also enjoys a strong presence in agribusiness, components, commercial vehicles, consulting services, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, steel, aerospace, defence and two wheelers. Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 200,000 people across 100 countries.

Learn more about Mahindra on http://www.mahindra.com / Twitter and Facebook: @MahindraRise

For further enquiries please contact:
Darius Lam
General Manager, Group Communications
Mahindra Group
Tel: +91-22-24916818
Email: [email protected]