PRESS RELEASE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Francisco, California — July 6th 2010:
A new solar simulator chamber for photovoltaic module testing is currently being developed for WESTPAK, Inc., an independent testing laboratory in San Jose, California. The chamber, manufactured by ESPEC North America, is designed to control the temperature of the solar modules as they are tested for their performance under simulated sun light.
WESTPAK has purchased this system in order to help clients assess the performance of their modules at hot or cold temperatures that occur naturally in the field. The new system can simulate winter temperatures as low as -35°C (-30°F) and summer temperatures as high as 85°C (185°F), extremes which modules might realistically experience when exposed on a rooftop. To recreate these temperatures, the chamber has a six-foot by nine-foot solar light exposure area, large enough for several PV panels to be tested at a single time, thereby reducing the total testing duration and cost. Six metal halide luminaries will provide simulated solar light exposure, and the chamber will be capable of conducting light simulation as required by the relevant IEC (and similar) module tests.
Besides the capacity to operate at different temperatures, the test chamber also features the necessary ability to remove the excess heat generated by its powerful sun simulator lamps. In addition to the lamps’ own cooling capability, ESPEC has designed the system with a 15-hp refrigeration system and 4,000 CFM air circulation to ensure that the optimum air temperature in the chamber is maintained.
“This new testing system gives WESTPAK clients the opportunity to more accurately and efficiently characterize the performance of their modules in varying operational environments,” said Herb Schueneman, President and CEO of WESTPAK.
ESPEC will be exhibiting at Intersolar North America 2010 in San Francisco’s Moscone Center West Hall from July 13-15, booth number 9047.
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About WESTPAK
WESTPAK, established in 1986, is a leading independent testing firm with laboratories in San Jose and San Diego, California accredited by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). WESTPAK specializes in product, reliability, distribution, packaging and related custom testing services for numerous industries, including solar, technology, and medical device. WESTPAK’s ISO 17025:2005 accreditation includes ASTM, ISTA, and many solar-related IEC test standards. WESTPAK’s clients include multi-national photovoltaic manufacturers as well as leading Fortune 500 companies. WESTPAK’s philosophy is “Integrity is the priceless ingredient in testing.”
Contact:
Mark Escobedo, CTO
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Westpak Inc.,
83 Great Oaks Blvd.,
San Jose, California 95119
408-224-1300
http://www.westpak.com
About ESPEC North America
ESPEC has been building test chambers in the United States since 1983. We are part of the ESPEC Group, which includes manufacturing facilities in Japan and China, as well as sales and service support around the world. We are the largest company solely dedicated to the manufacture of environmental chambers, allowing us to concentrate on quality construction and innovative designs. Both our U.S. and Japanese manufacturing operations are ISO-9001 registered.
From the smallest temperature/humidity chamber in the industry to one that can test a satellite, ESPEC has the equipment and expertise to meet and exceed your testing requirements. Many of the chambers we ship to customers include optional features or customization to exactly fit the application.
Contact:
David Jung, Marketing Manager
ESPEC North America
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
877-463-7732
http://www.espec.com