PVChain – Quality Assurance for the Solar Industry

TÜV Rheinland / Schenker AG

Willi Vaaßen
Joachim Marxer
Agenda

 Initial Situation

 Quality Assurance Process Description Safety along the

entire solar supply chain

 Value for the solar supply chain

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Initial Situation

pre transport main transport post transport distribution

Manufacturer / Port of Port of Distribution Construction

Warehouse Loading Entry Warehouse Site

 Modes of transport (ocean / air / land / rail)  Module quality

 Outbound controls?  Handling (cranes / forklifts) and condition?
 Quality of packaging?  Environmental conditions (quality of streets / wave height / storm)  Real Power?
 Transport distance  Sample control?

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Initial Situation

Facts:
 Quality state of module unclear when delivered (traceable real power, micro cracks)
 Origin of failures is not detectable
 Degree of damages/ power losses is not known

Current Reasons:
 Quality condition of outgoing goods is unclear (only internal quality
controls by manufacturer)
 Packaging requirements not specified (coordinated with PV module
sensitivity)
 Shock- / vibration stress during transport unknown
 No systematic quality tests at selling market
 Only diverse measurement on unknown quality level
(not able to stand up in a court)

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Quality Assurance Process Description
Overview

Pre-qualification activities

1. Pre-qualification of the outbound control management on manufacturing site

2. Pre-qualification of manufacturers packaging
3. Pre-qualification of logistic process (Logistic company, DB Schenker)

Accompany work flow qualification of the delivery of PV-Modules

A. Documentation of valid IV curve measurements in the database

B. Documentation of luminescence measurements with adequate resolution in the database
C. Transportation monitoring with DBSCHENKERsmartbox data logger
(shocks, vibrations, GPS)
D. Sample picking and measuring (Flashing / EL) in country of entry
( e.g. DB Schenker central inbound warehouse)

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Quality Assurance Process Description

To 1: Pre-qualification of the outbound control management on manufacturing site

 Qualification of factory-provided flashlight sun simulators (accuracy, quality

assurance, traceability to WPV Scale/ TÜV Rheinland)
 Qualification of luminescence measurements (resolution, etc.)
 Determination of documentation and data base structure to be filled up by
manufacturer measurements and can be used by PV plant investors

Power Controlled Criteria

1. The measuring discrepancy

between manufactures data and TÜV
Rheinland stays below 2 %

2. The average discrepancy between

the actual power output determined by
TÜV Rheinland and the labeled
nominal power is less or equal 1.5 %.
Technical assessment/ improvement of Flasher performance, calibration, reference
modules, QA procedures, etc.

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Quality Assurance Process Description

To 2: Pre-qualification of manufacturers packaging

 Analysis of transportation forces through stress analysis of the real transportation route
 Route simulation in combination with standardized transportation forces in the laboratory
 Optimization / creation of packaging /shipping unit if necessary
 Qualification and certification of packaging / shipping unit in
combination with PV Modules (shaker testing) for the simulated route

Acceptance Criteria through TÜV

Rheinland Standard (2PfG 2376/02.14)

1. Degradation of PMPP <5% after each test

sequence, <8% (total)

2. No deformations with impact to PV

modules

3. Substances of packaging materials

Transport stress simulation according to IEC 62759-1

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Quality Assurance Process Description

To 3: Pre-qualification of logistic process (Logistic Company- DB Schenker)

 Process analysis and optimization for the proper transition of products

from production- to the installation site
 Transport documentation of route and stress (with smart box and shock watch)

Test shipment to validate data to compare monitored stress results with

the given standard (IEC 62759-1) and to validate data logger results from
smartbox to reference data logger

 Data loggers
– Reference Datalogger (Lansmont ,TÜV Rheinland)
– DB SCHENKERsmartbox premium
– DB SCHENKERsmartbox light
 Route
– Start at Qidong (SHA area) to Rotterdam (ocean vessel)
– Rotterdam to Antwerp (barge)
– Antwerp to Bingen, Germany (FTL)
– Bingen to Friedewald (LTL)
– Friedewald to TÜV Rheinland laboratory in Cologne (LTL)
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Quality Assurance Process Description

To 3: Pre-qualification of logistic process (Logistic Company, DB Schenker)

 DB SCHENKERsmartbox indicates transient impacts (shocks) accurately

 Vibration impacts (e.g. resonances) are not in the focus of the constant measurements –
such influences are covered through the packaging (pre-) qualification
 The analysis shall indicate if individual shock incidences exceed values from the
simulation of the transport through the packaging (pre-)qualification

Impact G-Force Location

2 6,0 G Shanghai (Container on to feeder vessel)
3 6,2 G Xiaoyang (Container on to ocean vessel)
23 4,6 G Rotterdam (Container off ocean vessel)
27 4,6 G Rotterdam (Container on to barge)
28 5,5 G Antwerpen (Container off barge)
35 4,5 G Antwerpen (Container on to truck)

Comparison – Examples (G-forces)

1,0 G Standing on the Earth at sea level
3,0 G Space Shuttle (max. during launch)
5,4 G Formular One car (max. heavy breaking)
Data Acquisition period from June 13th to August 8th `13, In total: 1,305 hours

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Quality Assurance Process Description

To A-D: Accompanying work flow qualification of the delivery of PV-Modules

A. Documentation of valid IV curve measurements in the database

B. Documentation of electroluminescence measurements with adequate resolution in the database
C. Transportation monitoring with smartbox data logger (shocks, vibrations, GPS) and shock watch
D. Sample picking and measuring (Flashing / EL) in country of entry ( e.g. DB Schenker central
inbound warehouse) and comparison with manufactures outbound dates

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Quality Assurance for the Solar Industry

To A-D: Accompanying work flow qualification of the delivery of PV-Modules

Outbound quality control must be qualified to get generate well-founded and valid
measurement data.

Extraordinary shocks above 10G are measured with DB SCHENKERsmartbox

premium during the container transport. Shockwatches are installed for further shock
moniotring on palett-level after further distribution at the port of import.

Tested shipping unit covers high impacts shocks up to 10G. Unusual events during
the real transport (>10G) lead to technical quarantine and higher sample picking rate
in the port of import.

Sample inspection in inbound warehouse (or port of import) is required to continously

compare the power output (power controlled verification) and to check the potential
influences of transport stress.

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Quality Assurance for the Solar Industry
Exemplary transportation route

Qualified PV Module
Qualified PV Module Logistics
Logistics

Qualified Shipping Unit

Regular Production Surveillance

Power Controlled
Qualified PV Module
Logistics

Qualified PV Module
Logistics

Qualified PV Module
Qualified PV Module Logistics
Logistics
Qualified PV Module
Qualified PV Module Logistics
Logistics

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Value for the solar supply chain

Qualification of the outbound control management on manufacturing

site together with sample picking and measuring (Flashing / EL) in
country of entry leads to well founded and valid power data

Assurance of high quality and load adapted packaging leads to

reduction of transportation damages and claims settlement

Possible reduction of transport insurance premium through rising

visibility during supply chain

Assistance for long term profit of PV plant investment

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Questions & Answers

Schenker AG, TÜV Rheinland, 17.06.2014 14

Thank you for your attention