Solar inverter 4 track strategy for evaluating long-term field durability

Until recently, the inverter industry´s priorities were focused on meeting industry testing requirements to assess viability and safety, ramping up production capabilities, and shortening backlogs. As growth of the photovoltaic market has slowed, the field of competition has developed to where inverter companies are looking for ways to differentiate themselves from their peers. Considering that many inverters are installed outdoors, and ideal lifetime expectations for inverters are similar to that of photovoltaic modules, often 20 years or more, a need exists to better assess long term weather resistance. This paper describes a 4 track strategy to assess inverter durability with respect to field environment stresses.