There are specific standards used to ensure and optimize the quality of solar panels. These standards establish quality criteria to guarantee the safety, efficiency, and longevity of the product. However, these standards generally set minimum quality requirements, and each panel manufacturer may define additional criteria based on their quality control processes. Therefore, for any solar energy project, it is essential to establish quality acceptance criteria based on engineering principles and careful evaluation.

Quality Standards for Solar Panels

• IEC 61730 – Solar Module Safety Standards:
  This standard evaluates the safety, durability, and longevity of photovoltaic (PV) modules. It tests the electrical and mechanical safety of panels as well as their resistance to environmental impacts.
• IEC 61215 – Performance and Durability Tests for PV Modules:
  This standard assesses the performance and durability of solar panels through specific tests. It ensures the panel's efficiency and resilience under various environmental conditions such as rain, temperature changes, and wind.

Factory Qualification Inspection

During the production of a solar panel, adhering to basic quality standards alone is insufficient. Quality control must be maintained during the design, production, and shipment phases. Factory qualification inspections involve evaluating every stage of the panel production process independently of the manufacturer or supplier, ensuring the panels meet project-specific requirements and quality standards.

Importance of Factory Qualification Inspections:

• Supplier Independence: Independent inspections provide an unbiased quality assessment and offer impartial reporting.
• Quality Management Systems: Rigorous monitoring of production processes and quality management systems is critical for factories to ensure high quality and safety.
• Examination of Factory Structure and Production Processes: A comprehensive understanding of the production facilities, processes, and technologies used is obtained.
• Financial and Operational Evaluation: The financial history, operational efficiency, and production capacity of manufacturers are assessed.
• Confidential and Timely Reporting: Inspections provide accurate and valid information through confidential and prompt reports.
• Experienced Inspectors: Inspections are conducted by experienced professionals, minimizing error risks.

Solar Panel Manufacturing and Shipment Phase

In addition to quality control during production, minimizing physical damage risks during transportation is crucial. Solar panels are particularly vulnerable to improper handling, drops, or impacts during shipment. Proper planning of container usage, packaging, and transportation processes is essential.

• Reducing Physical Damage Risks: Appropriate transportation methods and robust packaging techniques should be used to prevent potential damages during shipment.
• PV Module Manufacturing Inspection: Defects such as microscopic cracks or faulty electrical connections may not be visible during production. Therefore, electroluminescence (EL) testing should be conducted to examine the internal structure of panels, with defects identified by experts.

Conclusion

Quality inspections during solar panel production ensure not only product certification but also have a direct impact on future system efficiency and lifespan. RENWORLD provides expert inspections at every stage of this process, ensuring the procurement of reliable, high-quality solar panels tailored to project needs, independent of suppliers.