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Solar ABCs Newsletter
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March 2010
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Greetings!
Greetings!
Welcome to the March newsletter for the Solar America Board
for Codes and Standards (Solar ABCs). The Solar ABCs Newsletter provides the latest news and
information about solar codes and standard achievements, announcements, and
events.
If you are interested in playing an active role in
discussion, debate, and the preparation of position statements and policies,
contact me and let me know your interest. Also contact me if you have any
suggestions for future newsletters or any other comments for Solar ABCs.
The Solar ABCs is a collaborative effort among experts to
formally gather and prioritize input from the broad spectrum of solar
photovoltaic stakeholders including policy makers, manufacturers, installers,
and consumers resulting in coordinated recommendations to codes and standards
making bodies for existing and new solar technologies. The U.S. Department of
Energy funds Solar ABCs as part of its commitment to facilitate widespread
adoption of safe, reliable, and cost-effective solar technologies. For more
information, visit solarbcs.org.
Sincerely,  Larry Sherwood
Project Administrator
Solar America Board for Codes and Standards
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Recommended Standards for PV Modules and Systems
The Solar ABCs has released a new policy recommendation
addressing the use of qualification and reliability standards for photovoltaic
(PV) modules. The recommendation
is for the U.S. to adopt three international standards that establish quality
manufacturing standards. Currently, there is no qualification or reliability
testing required for PV modules in the U.S. marketplace. As a result, the U.S. marketplace may
be flooded with lower quality PV modules.
Meeting qualification standards is considered to be a
minimum requirement for any module procurement. Photovoltaic modules sold or installed in the U.S. shall be
independently tested and certified. Therefore, the Solar ABCs is recommending
that consumers of PV modules adopt the policy to require that all PV modules
pass qualification testing based on the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) 61215, 61646, and 62108. Standards organizations such as the IEC have developed
and successfully implemented various PV standards to help protect consumers and
support the growth of the PV industry.
More information on IEC standards.
More information on the Solar ABCs Recommendation.
The Solar ABCs will also address the rating of PV module
capacity and PV system energy performance in future recommended policy
statements.
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On-Line Presentations Now Available
The Solar ABCs, in partnership with the Interstate Renewable
Energy Council and the North Carolina Solar Center recently produced
informative on-line presentations that provide an overview of recommendations
from two Solar ABCs Study Reports. The first presentation is based on the
findings and recommendations of a Solar ABCs study report, A Comprehensive Review of Solar Access Law in the United States. The
second presentation is based on the findings and recommendations of the Solar
ABCs study report, Utility External Disconnect Switch: Practical, Legal, and Technical reasons to Eliminate the Requirement. For
each report, there are two presentations offered, one "full" presentation
targeted at providing policy makers and solar industry professionals a snapshot
of the issues and recommended areas for improvement. The second presentation is intended for consumers and
provides them with a brief overview to help them better understand solar access
law in the United States.
Listen and view the audible presentation on Solar Access Law.
Listen and view the audible presentation on Utility External Disconnect Switch.
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Solar ABCs Stakeholder Meeting
The Solar ABCs provides solar industry leaders and advocates
the opportunity to participate and learn about key issues facing the PV codes
and standards market through Stakeholder Meetings.
Upcoming Stakeholder Meeting: Rate Impact of Net Metering Study
April 6, 2010, 3:00PM (ET) to 4:30 PM
Please plan to join us and participate in a Solar ABCs
Stakeholder Meeting that will discuss a study currently underway on the Rate
Impact of Net Metering. Mr. Jason Keyes and
Mr. Joseph Wiedman of Keyes & Fox, LLP on behalf of the Interstate
Renewable Energy Council (IREC) are leading this study. The scope of the study
is investigating the rate impact for all utility customers due to the net
metering of photovoltaic systems. This meeting is a chance for all stakeholders
to hear about the status of this study, to ask questions, and to provide input
to the authors.
Register Today!
There is no cost to attend. The meeting will be held via GoToWebinar software,
which will allow conference call audio (via phone or computer) and visual
presentation by the presenters.
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Steering Solar Codes and Standards Development for Market Success
In February the Solar ABCs Steering Committee met to
identify the current high priority issues and develop the appropriate
activities to support this year's development of codes and standards to
facilitate and accelerate the installation of high quality, safe photovoltaic
(PV) systems. The Solar ABCs
Steering Committee's work is conducted by a partnership of Universities, State
and Municipal energy organizations, National and International codes and
standards organizations, research organizations, and professional contractors
who are currently under the direction of a U.S. Department of Engineering (DOE)
contract awarded to the New Mexico State University. The Steering Committee includes Arizona State University, BEW
Engineering, Brooks Engineering, Florida State Energy Center, Interstate
Renewable Energy Council, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, New Mexico
State University, North Carolina Solar Center, PowerMark Corporation, Sandia
National Laboratory, Sunset, Underwriters Laboratories, and the U.S. Department
of Energy.
Permitting, wind loads, interconnection and
net metering, and fire safety were some of the subject areas in which the group
identified as high priorities. The high priority areas identified in this
meeting will be acted on in the coming year through planned collaborative study
efforts, research panels, and white papers. All of these planned efforts ultimately position the PV
industry with codes and standards that foster accelerated market adoption.
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ASTM Standard Practice for Accelerated Life Testing of Photovoltaic Modules
ASTM International Technical Committee E44 is currently
working on a draft standard for the accelerated lifetime testing for
photovoltaic modules titled The Practice for Photovoltaic Module Reliability
Assessment (WK25362). The driving issue
behind WK25362 is to provide a common ground for manufacturers and users to
assess durability and estimate functional service life. To that end, it could
also potentially be used to corroborate claims of warrantable lifetime. The
results of test protocols described in WK25362 will help designers and
manufacturers identify and quantify the important failure mechanisms that can
limit the service life of PV modules as well as provide methods to evaluate the
rate of performance degradation.
When approved, the proposed standard should serve as a technical
framework for evaluating improvements to increase the long-term performance of
PV modules.
If you would like to participate in the development of this
standard or others, please contact ASTM E44 Staff Manager, Christine DeJong at
cdejong@astm.org or 610-832-9736.
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Solar Leadership Summit - Presented by SolarTech
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - Thursday, April 22, 2010
Please plan to attend SolarTech's second annual solar
leadership summit to be held in San Ramon, California. This event brings together hundreds of
experts across many disciplines of the solar industry to help shape our
industry's future.
Be at the table, leverage best practices and drive future
standards! Attendees will expand on broad and actionable industry shaping
objectives in concert with new strategies for 2010 based on where we've come
and where we need to go. The Solar
ABCs is proud to be sponsor of this event and we hope to see you there. Register now.
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High Penetration Solar Standards Meeting
May, 20, 2010, Denver, CO
Effectively interconnecting
high-level penetration of photovoltaic (PV) systems requires careful technical
attention to ensuring compatibility with electric power systems. Standards,
codes, and implementation have been cited as critical enablers to widespread
use of PV within electric power systems in the United States. On May 20, 2010,
in Denver, Colorado, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in conjunction
with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (EERE), will hold a workshop to examine the key technical
issues and barriers associated with high PV penetration levels. Speakers and
attendees will discuss concerns, solutions, gaps and needs specific to new and
potentially revised standards and codes.
Registration and further information.
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