Currently there are many reports circulating regarding the effect of ammonia on Solar PV Panels. The basis for the concern is that ammonia produced in poultry and pig units could pose a potential risk to the resilience of Solar PV modules and components.
This could well be an issue for any farmer considering placing Solar PV Panels on their farm roofs, in order to take advantage of the financial benefits gained from installation of Solar PV Panels.
The problem in short is that ammonia water and gas mixtures have corrosive properties and hence could form a threat to the robustness of Solar PV modules. In view of the potential for breakdowns, the solar power industry has been carrying out some investigations and tests.
On the basis of existing standards, a test sequence the IEC 62716 “Ammonia corrosion testing of photovoltaic (PV) modules” standard, has been developed and is currently in draft.
It does not appear that significant amounts of ammonia can permeate through a roof and gather in any significant concentration around roof mounted solar modules. This is because poultry and pig units expel foul air via extraction fans or side vents; therefore any ammonia produced would be dispersed into the atmosphere and not onto roof mounted panels.
Jörg Althaus, of the renowned TÜV Rheinland Solar Test Center adds to this discussion that if the photovoltaic modules are sited too close to vents or built into the roof itself, ammonia exposure can reach high levels. He continues that if this occurs in conjunction with high humidity, this exposure can potentially be a problem as it leads to the formation of highly corrosive condensation that reduces performance and accelerates module aging. These are the conditions which are being simulated in the TÜV Rheinland IEC 62716 test.
Field experience has previously revealed there can be potential risks with failures of adhesives resulting in arcing and complete loss of separate modules. Defective PV modules that had previously been installed above an outlet of a foul-air duct of a pig pen were examined by TÜV Rheinland specialists. These modules plainly showed erosion of adhesives and other polymeric materials. The effects on one module in fact resulted in the detachment of a junction box, causing arcing and the total loss of the module. There was however no conclusive evidence that the breakdown of the adhesive was entirely due to ammonia corrosion.
At present, the outcome of any tests performed failed to show any catastrophic failures and therefore a fundamental problem for the PV industry cannot be foreseen.
So what is Hestia doing to address this potential problem?
Operating since 1993, Hestia is one of the most established
renewable energy firms in the UK. Hestia does not expect ammonia corrosion to be a fundamental problem for PV modules and firmly believes there is only a very slim chance of failure.
However, Hestia takes concerns like this seriously and we have made the decision that in future that we will only specify modules with proven ammonia resistance. Therefore as a responsible installer we are now submitting our premium PV panels to the IEC 62716 ammonia test which applies significant concentrations of ammonia to modules.
Furthermore, Hestia will ensure that
installations are placed either in vented sheds or outside the shed, away from any foul air outlet, where there is no risk of ammonia.
Hestia would be happy to discuss this issue further, so call one of our Hestia advisors free on 0800 043 2410 or make contact via e-mail on
info@hestiaservices.co.uk.
Hestia installed solar panels on a poultry shed in Shropshire.