Quality Management Systems for PV Manufacturing
Key requirements in the proposed standard include:
• Focus on the organization’s control of the PV module’s design to align the expected lifetime with its relationship to the organization’s warranty. Warranty claims must be addressed by product and process design or by financial means
• Requirement to ensure the manufacturer has considered potential failure modes (e.g., through a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, FMEA) and has taken steps to address those in the design, production, application and delivery process
• Requirement to obtain IEC product certification and implement an ongoing reliability test program that monitors PV modules’ performance for compliance with standards and the stated design lifetime
• Requirement to improve product traceability through the entire supply chain to enact positive control of the product for recalls and warranty claims
• Design of a manufacturing process that will ensure conformance to the design intent for performance, lifetime, and warranty
• Special processes, such as control of solderability, electrostatic discharge (ESD) control, and assignment of PV module power rating