JA Solar announced on June 16th that its PV modules have passed the high-grade Class 4 Hail Test conducted by RETC in May at its facility located at Fremont, California, following the successful pass of the similar test conducted by TÜV Rheinland in early March this year.
The Class 4 hail test uses solid ice balls frozen at -17 degrees Celsius with a diameter of two inches (50.8 millimeters) to strike different locations of the glass surface of a PV module that include center, one corner, and one edge along the metal frame, as well as some random places, at various impact velocities with the maximum reaching 76 meters per second (274 kilometers per hour). The kinetic impact energy of this Class 4 Hail Test carried out by RETC this time on JA's PV modules is more than eight times higher compared to the energy registered in the previous hail test conducted by TÜV Rheinland Lab in March when 45-mm hailstones with a striking speed of 30.7 m/sec were used.
Mr. Wei Shan, Chief Technology Officer of JA Solar, commented, "In order for our products to withstand harsher weather conditions, it is a necessity that our modules pass the hail impact test under more stringent conditions. Passing the Class 4 Hail Test at RETC is a testament that further demonstrates the high quality and reliability of JA Solar's PV modules, as well as our tirelessly devoted efforts to meet the needs of our customers through continuous performance improvement, product innovation, and vigorous quality control."