Quality

How do you know when an inverter or module is under-performing? Monitoring services should shed light on problems but AI-driven digital asset manager Raycatch says much information is hidden behind a wall of “noise.” Breaking that wall with advanced data analysis could unlock billions of cost savings.

The Japanese firm, which established the lab in association with Germany-headquartered technical advisor PI Berlin, eventually plans to set up a diagnostic business for solar panels and power plants in India.

The lab—located at Waaree’s factory in Gujarat—is the first such by an Indian module manufacturer and can perform more than 30 critical IEC tests.

Quality of testing is equally important even as new test labs come up for solar modules. Proper equipment selection and frequent calibration of equipment are prerequisites to ensure the credibility of the test results.

PV module makers are under growing pressure to increase the power output and longevity of their products, which leads in some cases to rapid changes in the technologies and materials they utilize. pv magazine recently sat down to speak with Kaushik Roy Choudhury and Mark Ma of DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions about the changing landscape for quality in solar PV materials.

The solar lab—based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat—uses Xenon-based single-long-pulse flasher and steady-state simulator from Netherlands-based Eternalsun Spire to test all current and future PV modules.

The Kolkata-based manufacturer’s Somera monocrystalline silicon and Eldora polycrystalline silicon PV modules met and exceeded international quality and performance benchmarks in assessments by PV Evolution Labs.

How much granularity in monitoring and optimization is enough? Module-level power electronics have been a popular addition to the residential segment and, for several reasons, have enjoyed growing popularity on commercial rooftops. But where is the limit? While there are the first ground-mount installations with MLPE, other companies suggest that less is more and scaled down their optimization and monitoring granularity.

“Quality control is expensive.” This common misperception is largely responsible for many of the product defects, design mistakes, and bad practices in the construction and commissioning of PV plants in several markets around the world. Strong downward price pressure underlined by reverse-auctions has created a false assumption that a budget for quality control is not necessary – as PI Berlin’s work in India is revealing.

Due to temporary disruptions caused by Covid-19 epidemic and the current lockdown, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has notified six months extension in the effective dates for the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM). The list is now set to apply from the end of September 2020.