Wet Insulation Test using Chroma Hipot Tester

Wet Insulation Test using Chroma Hipot Tester

Based on standard test methods, wet insulation testing of photovoltaic modules consists of performing resistance measurement on the insulation of a panel immersed in a liquid solution bath.

In this application, the panel is immersed in a solution (such as saline) for a given period of time, allowing water to penetrate the insulation barrier. The non-corrosive liquid solution is able to fully cover all exposed areas of the solar panel, which upon testing, allows a hipot tester to fully detect pin holes or other defects that exist within the insulation barrier of the panel. If the insulation performs as expected, measurement readings on the meter will indicate very high insulation resistance results. However, if there are punctures, pin holes, or other defects on the insulation barrier of the solar panel, a weakness will be detected during testing. When this occurs, the solution has penetrate the insulation barrier, resulting in a very low resistance measurement, or even a direct short for failure. ■