In 2011, well before the New York Times broke an industry-shaking story about solar module quality concerns citing manufacturing corner-cutting, an international task force* supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and coordinated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to work across regions and practices, was already actively working toward the establishment of a new standard for quality assurance in photovoltaic module manufacturing.
Due diligence in the form of product testing, certifications, and engineering reviews of companies and products is big business and in demand by banks, investors, and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firms. The NY Times Photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing news story played into developers, EPCs and market financiers’ angst over PV modules long-term performance, reliability and system values. The story became a touch point in the solar industry as the conversation continued, but the real work to improve the quality and reliability of PV modules was already well underway. Certification bodies in 2012 and early 2013 began beefing up their USA staffs and preparing new testing programs intelligently bundling extended module reliability testing, manufacturing monitoring, and in-field module monitoring in tune with global research.
VDE launched a USA Subsidiary, VDE Americas in February of 2013. Intertek have added a Bankability Program and expanded their staff. TUV Rheinland PTL has expanded their test offerings.
The International PV Module Quality Assurance Task Force,* in concert with many global organizations, has been studying, testing and collaborating to establish a new ISO standard, that will provide a guideline for PV module manufacturing in an effort to advance quality and reliability requirements for solar modules. However, the process for implementing new standards is long and tedious. If you take into consideration the immense task before them, you can understand why it takes so long. The work requires structured research, testing and validation coordinated within a mammoth global community working across governments, research bodies and private organizations.
USA-centric short list of organizations working on standards, certifications, testing and consulting for PV module manufacturing process reviews with information moving up and down the research value chain.
**Fraunhofer CSE is financed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, National Grid and anonymous private donors in the U.S., as well as the German Federal Government’s Ministry for Education and Research and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems. Fraunhofer CSE has received grants from the US DOE.
Enter the US DOE who encouraged the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to find ways to move things along faster. NREL met the challenge and created the new Photovoltaic ‘Qualification Plus’ Test. A summarization of some of the test methods that are in the midst of being adopted or that are being prepared for submission to the standards process, this testing is targeted at increasing the reliability of PV modules.
The proposal focuses on raising the bar of IEC 61215 (the baseline for current standards) and these are the 3 primary components:
1. New or revised accelerated tests
2. Revised sampling procedures (random sampling)
3. Required audit of the quality management system
Proposed to the California Energy Commission (CEC) with hopes of acceptance in January of 2014, the testing set will not be a requirement but viewed as a PV product differentiator.
Don’t get too excited. The process for consensus and then harmonization are chronological and slow moving steps, but the proposal to the CEC is a move supported by the DOE and NREL in an effort to fast-track revisions that will lead to an improved standard.
Sarah Kurtz, PhD, Principal Scientist and Reliability Group Manager of NREL commented, “As a way to more quickly benefit from recent work by standards organizations, NREL encourages use of Qualification Plus Testing for PV modules to improve overall durability and reliability of PV products. Many of the Qualification Plus set of tests are well on their way to being included in the next edition of IEC 61215 (Qualification Test), so using these tests now provides a head start on what will be coming later, while providing an opportunity for the research and testing community to optimize test procedures more fully before they become standards."
As module quality and reliability continue to be top of mind in the industry, organizations facing the greatest impacts of potential product failures are increasing their due diligence. Solar installation, financing and leasing companies have been refining and formalizing qualification procedures for module supply vendors that dig deep into manufacturing facilities requesting detailed information on company history, product design, production plans, suppliers, department personnel, testing processes, audit data, in-depth certification information, packaging, transportation, and more.
This push to protect their clientele and investments brings more requests for third-party certifications and reviews. Many of the top PV laboratories are involved on the national and, in some cases, global level in the research to improve module testing, thus they are in-step with changes impacting current standards. PV Evolution Lab, serving on the advisory board of the International PV Module Quality Assurance Task Force, has responded to market demand with bundled tests focused on module reliability and projects. CFV is offering a PV Module Durability Initiative which is an integrated test and research initiative developed by Fraunhofer ISE and Fraunhofer CSE.
From a module manufacturer’s perspective, Talesun Solar, a leading fully-automated module manufacturer is closely monitoring these changes and welcomes the standardization of testing. Talesun views its automation as a leading-edge in the marketplace, allowing production lines to dial-in precision and consistency for the product reliability the solar market is demanding.
Established standards need to be recalibrated as technologies evolve. The marketplace demands a higher standard to take solar to the next level of growth. Testing continues to push product limits and provide necessary feedback for product improvement and innovation. Superior products deliver higher quality and increase market adoption. Steps toward a higher standard are milestones of growth for the solar industry.
*International PV Module Quality Assurance Task Force is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, European Commission DG, JRC and SEMI PV Group and hosted by AIST, NREL and PVTEC
References:
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/business/energy-environment/solar-powers-dark-side.html?_r=0
https://www.nrel.gov/ce/ipvmqa_task_force/
https://www.solarabcs.com/codes-standards/index.html
https://www.pv-tech.org/news/vde_testing_and_certification_institute_launches_us_subsidiary
https://www.intertek.com/energy/photovoltaic/bankability/
https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/print-edition/2012/07/27/tuv-rheinland-lab-in-tempe-moves-on-to.html?page=all
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/GTM-Guide-to-Solar-Module-Testing
https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass-high-tech/2010/09/fraunhofer-cse-cleantech-program-attracts.html
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About the author
Jill Hansen Jill Hansen leads the strategy and execution of USA marketing for Talesun Solar. With over 15 years marketing experience in the Media, IT, and Solar industries, Jill is a high-energy marketing leader.
Ms. Hansen formerly held the position of Americas Marketing Director for Canadian Solar and took the company from a relatively unknown in a new market to a recognized leading brand that experienced 100% year-over-year growth. Prior to that, in her tenure at TIBCO Software, a global, blue-chip enterprise software company in Silicon Valley, she developed and implemented a world-class marketing events program for each their vertical markets and was awarded the MVP of the Year award.
Jill also worked for the San Francisco Newspaper Agency for ten years and as part of the management team of a major metropolitan newspaper, she engaged high-profile, top customers to form multi-level joint marketing programs that met and exceeded revenue goals. The success of her programs landed her the prestigious Hearst Marketing Excellence Award.
She received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Iowa. Jill has served on committees with Solar Energy Industry Associations.
