QUALITY CERTIFICATION STANDARDS FRAMEWORK FOR PV PRACTITIONERS

摘要

This paper describes work on the development and implementation of a broadly recognized set of quality standards for the certification of photovoltaic (PV) practitioners to measurable levels of knowledge and skills competence. The certification may be used by customers, financing institutions, and employers to qualify PV practitioners and contractors. The intent is that implementing an objective measure of competence through a third-party credential will improve the safety, quality, and reliability of fielded systems; encourage financing and investment; and, create local, sustainable jobs. As with hardware standards, this project is a coordinated effort among activities in a number of countries around the world. In Europe, the work is sponsored under an ALTENER contract, to pilot practitioner certification in Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Other certification activities are being sponsored in the United States by the Department of Energy (DOE), industry, and other stakeholder groups; in China, by the DOE and the Chinese Brightness Program; in Morocco by DOE; and, in India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa by The World Bank. This work is also under study by the IEA-PVPS' Task 9 Experts Working Group on PV in Developing Countries. By coordinating with these programs, the goal is to provide a global standards framework.