Mechtest – Developing a Methodology for Testing the Mechanical Snow and Wind Load on Solar Thermal Collectors
Abstract
Within a growing market, quality assurance gains an increasing importance. The most important norm in the field of solar thermal collector testing is the EN 12975. The methods used in the EN 12975 are nowadays in some cases inappropriate, because they can be applied only to a limited extent due to innovative collector concepts and designs. Further research is needed to develop new concepts for mechanical load tests in order to meet the actual quality requirements and to cover a wide range/variety of applications. Innovative products such as PVT and façade collectors need to be integrated in these testing methods. Due to an increasing number of extreme weather events the mechanical load test needs to provide sufficient assurance that a collector can master these challenges. Therefore the forces, different collector designs have to withstand, have been analyzed in order to simulate them as representative as possible. This paper provides a new concept of a mechanical load test, based on more realistic testing conditions to reduce the barrier for new collector concepts on entering the market, keeping the quality level high at the same time.