ABSTRACT
After the “intrepid entrepreneurs,” as Richard Swanson calls us, started to make solar cells and modules and actually sell them, and after the US Government started to spend some money for development, several entities jumped into the photovoltaic (PV) business and also started to make PV cells and modules. In retrospect, I can see great similarities between the “flying machines” shown in one of my favorite movies Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines made in 1965 and the PV modules produced by the various manufacturers in 1974.So, what is the situation today with PV modules? Again a similarity exists between today’s airplanes and today’s PV modules. Today’s airplanes are very reliable, and so are today’s PV modules. The PV module, which is the most expensive component of a PV system, I believe, is one of the few products in the history of mankind for which the manufacturers are giving a 20-or even 25-year warranty that it will deliver at least
80% of its original electrical power output even after so many years. The warranty for such a very long time may sound unbelievable, considering that while the modules have to last for 25 years of outdoor exposure, the manufacturers, many of them are not even 10 years in business; therefore, they could not have waited 25 years to see how their product will perform.How did this happen when manufacturers are normally reluctant in establishing standards for their products or services. Governments establish regulations or standards usually only after there is a strong public demand. But in general the consumer can only depend on the reputation of the manufacturer of a product, or the service provider.In the case of many products, manufacturers rely on the so-called “externalization of quality control.” This means that the products are not checked by the manufacturer. They are sold the way they come off the production line and the customer using it finds out that the product is good or not good. If it is defective, returns it to the store or to the manufacturer and gets a new one. If the manufacturer is reputable, it will send out a repairman to fix the product. This is cheaper for the manufacturer, but a nuisance for the customer. This system works in the USA or countries in Europe, but not in most part of the world.For the future of the PV modules and PV systems, it was extremely important, actually a necessity to be reliable and have long life-20-25 years-to become competitive with other energy sources. This required a manufacturing process to achieve a durable PV module and a testing procedure to prove that the product is going to have the required long life. That manufacturers are going to be able to claim a 20-25-year life for PV modules has an interesting background and this, in the world’s history almost an unprecedented long warranty provided by manufacturers, could be correct, because the governments, the industry, and organizations such as the World Bank working together developed a quality and certification system which would assure quality and durability. I am using the word “would” to indicate that this would happen “if” the manufacturer voluntarily would do it or the user would only buy PV products which display a Quality Mark.
