Three-prong path to comprehensive technical standards for photovoltaic reliability

As the photovoltaic (PV) industry has grown, the long-term reliability of PV systems has become increasingly important. Many organizations are taking on the challenge of this multi-faceted issue. This paper describes three closely coordinated efforts that together will provide a comprehensive set of consensus standards and specifications for the technical aspects of verifying PV system quality and bankability. These three efforts are developing standards for 1) qualifying the design for the intended application (climate zone and mounting configuration), 2) quality management systems for PV module manufacturing, and 3) system-level inspections to ensure appropriate design, installation, commissioning, and operation of PV systems. A pathway has been identified for international implementation of these standards through the International Electrotechnical Commission.