STANDARDS
Standards can lead to a faster growing industry
Every technology industry struggles with developing standards as the need for the highest quality outcome can sometimes struggle with individual company fiscal needs. Alan King is the vice president of sales for the United States Division of Canadian Solar and looks at how standards are the key to attaining the highest solar module quality and performance and discusses the impact that PTC Ratings have had as a workable option.
24 T
he Standard Testing Conditions (STC) ratings provided by solar module
manufacturers have long been the solar industry’s de facto method of identifying a given module’s anticipated electrical output. But so far, there is no sufficient internationally acknowledged standard. However, the test that most accurately reflects the electrical output of a given module is that performed under PVUSA (Photovoltaics for Utility Scale Applications) Testing Conditions, known as PTC ratings. This is due to the fact that these ratings measures PV output under more realistic conditions regarding temperature and climate. Therefore the PTC ratings are most likely to become a global leading edge standard for modules.
In California, PTC ratings are required for modules to be eligible to receive California Energy Commission (CEC) incentive funds through the California Solar Initiative, and can be a factor in determining the amount of rebates a system owner receives. PVUSA Test Conditions measure a solar photovoltaic (PV) module’s power output at atmospheric conditions that more closely resemble true solar and climatic variable conditions than those simulated by Standard Testing Conditions. A higher PTC rating indicates higher actual on-site
solar energy production per-watt installed, which leads to faster return on investment.
In the 1990’s, a group of public and private corporations collaborated with the US government to create a national cooperative research project called Photovoltaics for Utility Scale Applications (PVUSA), whose purpose was to assess the viability of utility scale PV electric systems and new PV technology. PVUSA developed a rating methodology for PV module performance evaluation and performed its first tests at a University of California, Davis solar farm that was constructed by PG&E in 1986 and sold to the California Energy Commission in 1997.
Standard objectives The test objectives were:
1. Evaluate the performance, reliability, and cost of promising PV modules and balance-of-system (BOS) components side-by-side at a single location; assess PV system operation and maintenance in a utility setting;
2. Compare US utilities’ hands-on experience in designing, procuring, and operating PV systems; and, 3. Document and disseminate knowledge gained from the project.
www.solar-pv-management.com Issue IX 2010
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