Quality

“Profitable yet risky”: This was one of the findings of a recent study, released in July, conducted by PI Berlin on behalf of Germany’s National Metrology Institute (PTB) when examining six Indian PV projects from the viewpoint of project quality. The report’s author Asier Ukar spoke to pv magazine in advance of his presentation on the subject at the Quality Roundtable at the Renewable Energy India conference next week.

Wildlife vandalism is the least of the worries afflicting PV system owners in India, according to a report which exposes cost-cutting in installation, non-existent warranties, serious safety concerns and improbable performance figures.

The Indian Government must create a complete ecosystem to ensure the effective on-ground execution of its ambitious solar program, says Chakradhar Byreddy, Director–Renewable Energy, UL, Asia Pacific, during an interview with pv magazine. This includes investing in laboratory infrastructure, and skills for technical due diligence, energy yield assessment and forecasting.

Troubleshooting in solar plants requires not only trying to find a diagnosis of why the performance ratio is reduced, but also to localize faulty modules. In a recent pv magazine webinar, experts discussed four troubleshooting cases and explored whether module-resolved monitoring would help reduce the effort, and thereby decrease LCOE.

Held in September, the seventh pv magazine Quality Roundtable made its debut in India at the Renewable Energy India Expo. The discussion raised a series of pertinent points relevant to India’s soaring solar market, particularly concerning the need to place quality ahead of cost.

In solar PV, while the world seems focused on quantity – how many megawatts installed, at what price – solar power manufacturers, installers, and operators know that quality is crucial to the successful delivery of clean and profitable power.

Last week’s Renewable Energy India exhibition was a busy, bustling affair that highlighted the rude health and impressive energy of India’s solar sector. There are still many hurdles to overcome, however, if India is to develop its own domestic manufacturing industry.

PID in India: In the cost-conscious Indian solar sector, ensuring reliable power output should be the number one priority. However, an example of one solar farm suffering from the ill-effects of under-performing modules, installation malpractice and unsatisfactory maintenance shows how corner cutting from the outset is more damaging in the long run.

Funded by the EU with €14 million ($14.9 million), the AMPERE project was launched at Enel Green Power’s PV module manufacturer 3SUN’s headquarters in Catania, Sicily. Further funding of €14.1 million currently under evaluation.

The German metallization and silver paste specialist will collaborate with Solar Space on the creation of regular new dual printing and other techniques in the pursuit of optimized metallization paste performance.