This part of IEC 60904 describes the preferred method for determining the equivalent cell temperature (ECT) of PV devices (cells, modules and arrays of one type of module), for the purposes of comparing their thermal characteristics, determining NOCT (nominal operating cell temperature) or alternatively NMOT (nominal module operating temperature), and translating measured I-V characteristics to other temperatures.

This standard applies to linear devices with logarithmic VOC dependence on irradiance and in stable conditions. It may be used for all technologies but one has to verify that there is no preconditioning effect influencing the measurement.