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Suntech’s PV modules have received the VDE Quality-Tested certification, placing them as one of three brands globally to have passed VDE Institute’s enhanced hail test. 

Dr. Han Qiang, VDE’s General Manager in Shanghai said: “At present, most manufacturers have passed the hail test based on the standard IEC61215, which uses hail of 25mm in diameter to hit the surface of modules, producing about 1.99J of energy during the test. Yet, the VDE test uses hail of 40mm in diameter, the 4th level of hail test in accordance with Swiss standards, which uses hail at a speed of 27.5m/s to hit the modules, producing energy no less than 11.1J, which simulates extreme environmental conditions.”

“The cells of PV modules will have micro-cracks if used in areas that experience frequent hail storms, which is detrimental to module performance and long-term reliability,” added Xiong Haibo, CEO of Suntech.

According to the VDE tests, Suntech’s modules experienced little or no power loss and met the enhanced standard hail test requirements in extreme weather conditions.

Tier-one PV manufacturer and clean energy developer Shunfeng International Clean Energy (SFCE) recently reported Wuxi Suntech’s PV modules sales in 2014 were 645.1MW, generating US$391.5 million in revenue.