OP
RecycleElectron
There's not really any alternative to accelerated tests if you want to bring a product to market in less than 20 years! They will do control tests to "validate" them, like using different concentrations to see if the effect is linear or not. Beyond that the R&D is often done at the customer's expense. On the scale of the coatings (microns), the corrosion of even the glass itself may be significant and some thin film coatings are very susceptible, so different technologies may well be more suitable than others in an alkaline environment. With all of the thermal cycling going on it must be quite difficult to stop ammonia and water vapour getting into the panels eventually to some extent? Aluminium is not happy with alkaline solutions so anodised frames may be helpful, but maybe only if the extrusions are anodised after cutting or the cuts are sealed 100%, (unlikely I think in both cases) and you can always get them up there and maintain them without any scratches or stress cracks..... See (Inorganic coatings) so you might have to paint them too to be on the safe side. Electrolytic corrosion could be worse in a hostile environment, so choice of fixings material could also be critical.
