Approaches to Demonstrating Bankability and Differentiating Product Quality (Presentation)

As the PV Industry has matured, there is increasing interest in quantifying higher quality so that customers may select products that meet their needs, and investors are demanding high confidence before committing millions of dollars. The community is developing the knowledge and standard methods needed to address these. This talk will give an overview of new developments in the last year including descriptions and status of Qualification Plus (a test protocol that goes beyond the standard qualification tests), a PV-specific version of ISO 9001 (for increased confidence in manufacturing consistency), and the Regional Test Centers (where new products can be tested to quantify performance and durability in multiple climate zones.) Development of PV system-level certification will also be described.