Evaluation of the Stress Conditions

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the methods for accumulating data for climatic stresses, for evaluating the data, and reporting the effects of different climates on several flat-plate collectors. The environmental impact on materials exposed directly to weathering or indirectly to weather dependent stress conditions, as in solar systems, varies over time. Therefore, it is necessary to accumulate stress data over a significant time period. Appropriate periods are usually at least one year or better still, several years to obtain the data needed for assessing the durability of a new material in comparison with others. If the data are intended to be a basis for general accelerated life tests, several different climates should be monitored at different locations and for different periods to identify the most challenging stresses. The impact of evaluation parameters like sampling time or integration intervals is considered. The chapter shows the effect of different climates, different materials, and the different collector types for heating domestic water based on the amount of stresses. Statistical analysis tools and the interpretation of the results are also discussed.