China Datang Corp. says its 2,000 V solar testing base in China’s Hainan province will validate high-voltage modules under tropical coastal conditions.

September 26, 2025 Vincent Shaw

Image: pv magazine

China Datang Corp., through its subsidiary Datang Hainan Energy Development, has unveiled the world’s first 2,000 V photovoltaic validation and certification base in Wenchang, China's Hainan province.

The facility, which is intended to validate next-generation high-voltage PV systems under tropical coastal conditions, seeks to bridge laboratory theory and real-world performance in high-temperature, high-humidity, and salt-spray environments.

The Wenchang base is structured to address three core missions: empirical verification of 2,000 V systems by monitoring over 20 critical variables, including power output, cell temperature, and irradiance under unified test conditions; comparative performance assessment of 2,000 V versus conventional 1,500 V systems, especially in cable reduction and cost-of-electricity gains; and standardization efforts, collaborating with industry bodies to build key testing protocols and hardware compatibility standards for high-voltage PV platforms.

The wet, tropical site near the South China Sea experiences year-round humidity often exceeding 80%, an average temperature of 23.9 C, and annual rainfall of 1,721.6 mm. Such conditions pose severe corrosion and environmental stress for PV systems. This setting makes it ideal for stress testing and reliability validation of next-generation equipment.

Datang Hainan is the project's developer under China Datang. The base is being engineered in cooperation with China Quality Certification Center (CQC), UL Solutions, and other third-party certifiers to ensure data credibility and methodological rigor. The platform is also physically connected to Datang’s adjacent 100 MW agrivoltaic-plus-storage demonstration station in Wenchang, enabling real-time validation in operational settings.

A central challenge lies in verifying device durability under combined stresses: high-voltage insulation, humidity intrusion, salt corrosion, and thermal cycling. The project assesses how 2,000 V modules and inverters cope with these conditions, their encapsulant aging, solder-joint corrosion, and electrical insulation stability.

Another key area is system compatibility: testing how 2,000 V arrays interface with existing grid protection, metering, and control systems. The base also explores co-control of 2,000 V PV-plus-storage, investigating dynamic dispatch strategies under high-voltage operation.

To simulate extreme climate conditions, the base is equipped with environmental chambers that replicate 60 °C heat, 95% relative humidity, and 5% NaCl salt fog. Coupled with a smart IoT monitoring platform, it records minute-level data across multiple parameters and builds health models for predictive maintenance. The site has also drafted initial test protocols, such as “Outdoor Validation of 2000 V PV Systems,” which may feed into industry-wide standards.

The Wenchang base has already been designated as a national-level demonstration and included in China’s green-tech innovation project list, earning central budget support and inclusion in the “New Power System Development Blue Book” as a reference case. It is expected to produce authoritative outdoor performance data to guide equipment selection, system design, technology iteration, and investment decisions.

Datang said it plans to begin a second-phase expansion (100 MW) by 2026 and aims to establish a “Tropical PV International Laboratory” in cooperation with Southeast Asian energy agencies. In the long term, the facility may become a regional hub for R&D, testing, certification, and technology export, positioning the Wenchang base as a pivotal node in China’s clean energy ambition and global photovoltaic innovation network.