North American Standard for PV Module Quality Assurance Testing - CSA Group, Kyumin Lee

ANSI/CSA C450: North American Standard for PV Module Quality Assurance Testing Kyumin Lee, PhD Chief Engineer CFV Solar Test Laboratory, U.S.A. © 2018 CSA Group Testing & Certification Inc All Rights Reserved. www.csagroup.org About CSA Group 2 www.csagroup.org Agenda • What is Quality Assurance Testing • Standardization of Quality Assurance Test Protocol • ANSI/CSA C450 Test Protocol • CSA Group C450 Attestation Program • Summary 3 www.csagroup.org What is Quality Assurance Testing? Quality Assurance Testing involves testing of PV modules to stresses beyond the requirements for certification (IEC 61215/61730, UL 1703), to guarantee the quality of modules delivered to utility-scale projects. 4 Initial I-V TC200 Final I-V Initial I-V TC200 Interim I-V TC200 Interim I-V TC200 Final I-V IEC 61215 Thermal Cycling Extended Thermal Cycling Example of a Test Leg (TC200 vs TC600) All product names are property of their respective owners DNV GL PVEL PQP NREL Qual Plus TUV Sud/RETC Thresher Fraunhofer PVDI TUV Rheinland LTS VDE Q. Tested Some Existing Programs www.csagroup.org Why Does Quality Assurance Testing Exist? • In the financing of a utility-scale project in the U.S., an Independent Engineering firm (IE) is often involved, carrying out a 3rd party review of the project bankability. • IEs recognize the quality of PV modules as a crucial factor. • IEs do not view design qualification and safety certification to IEC 61215/61730 or ANSI/UL 1703 to be sufficient for products that need to last for 25 years. • IEs require extended stress testing results on the PV modules, of the specific BOM to be delivered to the project. 5 Project Developer Independent Engineer (IE) Investors, Banks www.csagroup.org Quality Assurance Testing Helps the PV Industry • Quality Improvement There is a consensus that the quality of PV modules supplied to the US utility- scale projects has improved significantly over the years, in large part due to the extended stress testing requirements. • Module Purchaser Awareness of Module Quality Project developers and investors learned that modules of the same module type but different components and materials can behave very differently in the field, which is often not visible in certification testing. • Module Manufacturer Awareness of Module Quality Leading manufacturers now run internal extended testing programs, to qualify new designs and materials. 6 www.csagroup.org Standardization of Quality Assurance Test Protocol • Survey by CSA Group in 2015 revealed a strong demand from manufacturers, project developers, IEs, and investors for a standard on the Quality Assurance test protocol, to improve data compatibility and to reduce redundant testing. • After a year of development by the EXP450 Technical Committee, CSA published an express document (CSA EXP450) in May 2017, consolidating the test protocols in popular programs. • Further development was carried out by the C450 Technical Committee, and a bi- national standard, ANSI/CSA C450 “Photovoltaic (PV) Module Testing Protocol For Quality Assurance Programs”, is to be published in Q4 2018. 7 2015-2016 Stakeholder Input 2016-2017 CSA EXP450 Development 2017-2018 ANSI/CSA C450 Development www.csagroup.org EXP450 and C450 Technical Committees 8 Stakeholders across the industry participated in the standard development. Investors, IEs, Developers JP Morgan Wells Fargo Constellation Energy EDF Renewables NRG Renewables Sunrun ICF Manufacturers Canadian Solar First Solar GCL SI Hanwha Q Cells Jinko Solar SilFab Solaria SunPower Trina Solar Yingli Research Institutes NREL Sandia National Labs CSIR Case Western University CBs, Labs, Inspectors CSA Group CFV Solar Test Lab CQC DNV GL PVEL SolarBuyer SolarQC www.csagroup.org ANSI/CSA C450 Test Protocol 9 Solder Bond Strength Crack Susceptibility UV Resistance Moisture Ingress Resistance TC600 from BP Solar Holistic QA /NREL Qual Plus UV Leg of IEC 61730-2:2016 DH2000 PID CSA C450 is a consolidation of existing private and IEC test protocols. All tests are per IEC standards and technical specifications that the industry is already familiar with. www.csagroup.org ANSI/CSA C450 Characterization Tests 10 Can be used to characterize LID. Alternative methods allowed if validated, per IEC 61215-2:2016 Stabilization waived for c-Si modules, per IEC 61215-1-1:2016 www.csagroup.org How to Use ANSI/CSA C450 • The standard will be publicly available at the CSA Group website following the conclusion of the ANSI publication process. • As a public standard, all invested stakeholders are given the opportunity to participate and contribute to future changes, assuring that all parties’ needs are met. • Manufacturers can use ANSI/CSA C450 for internal testing. • Simultaneously with the standard publication, CSA Group is now offering the C450 Attestation Program. 11 ANSI/CSA C450 will be the first public standard for the PV Module Quality Assurance Testing, published by a Standard Development Organization (SDO). www.csagroup.org CSA Group C450 Attestation Programs • CSA Group has developed C450 Attestation Programs, on top of the ANSI/C450 standard. • With C450 Type I Attestation, – Samples will be tested according to ANSI/CSA C450. – Manufacturers will receive a detailed CSA Group Attestation Report. • With C450 Type II Attestation, applicable to products completing Type I Attestation, – Products are subjected to periodic factory inspection and BOM verification. – Qualifying products are listed at the CSA Group, and they can carry the CSA Group Attestation Mark. 12 www.csagroup.org CSA Group C450 Attestation Program Process 13 Module Design Review BOM Verification and Module Build Witnessing ANSI/CSA C450 Testing CSA Attestation Report Type I Attestation Type II Attestation (following Type I Attestation) CSA Group Product Listing Factory Inspection CSA Attestation Marking Ongoing Factory Monitoring and BOM Verification www.csagroup.org Design Review, BOM Verification, and Witnessing Design Review • Detailed BOM documents will be required for the specific BOMs to be tested. • The BOM document and the module design will be reviewed by CSA Group certifiers. BOM Verification and Module Build Witnessing • CSA Group inspectors or contractors will witness the build of the module samples to be tested on-site at a specific factory. • Laminate samples will be collected and stored at CSA Group for future finger-printing purposes. • Samples will be crated, sealed and shipped to a CSA Group test lab. 14 www.csagroup.org CSA C450 Lab Testing and Type I Reporting • Test protocol will follow the ANSI/CSA C450 standard. • Testing will occur at one of CSA Group’s PV test laboratories: • Both labs are ISO 17025-accredited, and have CBTL status under IECEE. • A detailed CSA Type I Attestation Test Report is issued that can be shared with investors and IEs. • There is no pass/fail in this report. 15 CFV Solar Test Lab, Albuquerque, U.S.A. CSA Group PV Test Lab, Kunshan, China www.csagroup.org CSA C450 Type II Attestation Product Listing • For a product to be listed to the CSA C450 Type II Attestation Program, all modules are required to meet the criteria outlined in ANSI/CSA C450 Section 4: – Power loss less than 5%, including flasher uncertainty – No insulation/wet leakage failures + No major visual defect • Qualifying products will be listed in the CSA Group online product listing database. 16 www.csagroup.org CSA C450 Type II Attestation Product Marking • For a manufacturer to mark their PV modules with the CSA Type II Attestation mark, they must: – Pass the ANSI/CSA C450 testing requirements, – Undergo initial and ongoing periodic factory inspections, – Periodically verify that only the modules with the tested BOM are being marked, and – Undergo re-testing if BOM substitution or changes are made. • For the first time, module purchasers can have confidence that the exact modules they receive have been built with a specific BOM that has passed Quality Assurance testing. 17 www.csagroup.org Additional Program Benefits • Combining both product certification (North America, IEC) with ANSI/CSA C450 can greatly reduce cost and time to market through the elimination of repeat testing. • Additional savings and efficiency can be attained through combined certification and CSA C450 inspections. 18 www.csagroup.org Summary • CSA Group has developed Attestation Programs on top of ANSI/CSA C450. • The CSA C450 Type I Attestation Program includes design review, BOM verification, sample build witnessing, and the complete information required by independent engineering (IE) firms, from BOM information to detailed test results. • The CSA C450 Type II Attestation Program adds factory inspections, CSA Group website product listing, mark issuance, and ongoing BOM verification on top of the Type I Attestation Program. • The CSA Type II Attestation Mark will be allowed only on modules of qualifying BOMs produced at inspected factories providing a module-level BOM specific verification of the product quality. 19 Kyumin Lee Chief Engineer CFV Solar Testing Laboratory T: +1 505 998 0100 kyumin.lee@cfvsolar.com