First Cyclone-Proof Solar Modules in Australia

First Cyclone-Proof Solar Modules in Australia

Solar modules by Q.CELLS are the first to pass Category D cyclone pressure tests, proving that they can withstand the harshest of Australian environments, including cyclones of such intensity as Cyclone Yasi and Cyclone Larry.

The German-engineered Q.CELLS solar modules are the first to pass stringent wind load pressure testing that demonstrates their suitability for all Australian wind regions.

Third party testing undertaken at the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University in Townsville shows that a Q.CELLS system would have survived destructive Cyclone Yasi and Cyclone Larry.

Renowned in Australian history, Cyclone Larry was one of the most devastating cyclones to ever hit Queensland, and had wind speeds of 240 km/h and wind gusts measured at 294 km/h. Later, in 2011, Cyclone Yasi hit land at Mission Beach with a speed of 290 km/h, a Category C cyclone region.

These cyclones had a devastating effect on Australian infrastructure and environment, yet four tests performed in two rounds of testing on different mounting structures have found that Q.CELLS solar modules can survive even these extreme conditions.

Q.CELLS, known as a company to set industry standards, pushed the boundary even further and asked the Cyclone Testing Station to test Q.CELLS modules for category D cyclone region, the most extreme wind region found in northern Western Australia. The results were that Q.CELLS' German-engineered solar modules were the first, and only, modules to pass these tests in Australia.

'We are very proud to have passed these tests, making it an exciting new first for Australia's solar industry. We believe this sets Q.CELLS modules apart from the competition in terms of quality and safety," said Oliver Hartley, Managing Director of Q-CELLS Australia. 'We have always known that Q.CELLS modules are the safest solar modules for homes and businesses, and now these tests prove that to the public."

The first round of testing assessed Q.PRO-G2 and Q.PEAK modules on a standard roof-top structure using two different methods that applied stress through static, continuous pressure and dynamic cycling of pressure that consisted of more than 10,000 cycles ranging in intensity from low to high and back to low intensity.

Q.CELLS modules passed this first round of pressure testing, showing that a solar system using Q.CELLS modules and installed on a conventional roof-top mounting structure will survive Category C cyclones, the most severe category for all major cities in Australia.

The second round of pressure testing assessed the same type of modules on a ground-mounted system by German company Krinner using the same methods applied in round one testing. The system passed testing for cyclones with a speed of up to 306 km/h. Cyclones of this speed occur less than once every 1,000 years in Category D cyclone regions.

'It is now proven that Q.CELLS modules are the strongest modules out there, tested by an independent, quality lab in Australia," said Oliver Hartley.