Global Approval Program for Photovoltaics

Press Release: November 27, 1996

The Global Accreditation Program for PV (PV GAP) was initiated in June 1996 at a meeting at the Pocantico Conference Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation with the purpose of establishing and maintaining global, uniform levels of quality for PV solar modules, balance of systems, installations, after-sales services, and testing laboratories. Another aim was that these criteria should be accepted globally.

The follow up meeting was hosted by the European Research Centre (Ispra, Italy) and was held on October 27-29, 1996, in Belgirate, Italy. Twenty-four representatives from European, Japanese, and U.S. solar industry associations, The World Bank, testing labs, standards and accreditation bodies, as well as people with first-hand experience with solar system installation and maintenance attended the meeting.

Between the Pocantico and Belgirate GAP meetings, an effort was made to identify and collect all the standards and PV handbooks developed by various organizations in the various countries and regions. During the same time, an inquiry was made and answers were received from testing laboratories world wide to identify those that have the capabilities and also perform tests on PV components and/or systems. The results of these studies were presented at the meeting.

The participants of this meeting unanimously agreed to establish a permanent program and a "Seal of Quality" ("GAP Seal"), which would globally assure the quality of PV products and installations and which would assure uniformity and reciprocity of the utilized standards, hand books, and testing laboratories. In order to carry out this decision, a plan was put in effect and four working groups were formed:

• Organization Working Group (Chairman, Dr. Peter Varadi): The possibility to establish a permanent legal entity for PV GAP and a "Seal of Quality" (possibly in Switzerland) will be explored. A PV GAP organizational structure will be proposed. Possibility of transferring the certification and accreditation work (based on criteria developed by GAP) to a globally established and accepted body (e.g., to the Geneva, Switzerland-based IECQ (International Electrotechnical Commission Quality Assurance Program)) will be explored. Criteria for awarding the "GAP Seal" will be developed.
• Standardization Working Group (Chairman, Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink): PV GAP will not write standards, but will accept and promote globally the IEC standards. If no IEC standard is available, then, based on peer review, PV GAP will accept existing or future standards of other bodies as "GAP Temporary Standards (GAP TS)," and promote their use globally. These GAP TS will then be submitted to IEC TC 82 to develop them into permanent IEC standards, which, when completed, will replace the GAP TS.
• Handbook Working Group (Chairman, Prof. Robert Hill): A PV GAP Handbook will be established, combining inputs from the many other organizations that already have developed a handbook or parts of a handbook. This PV GAP Handbook then will be promoted globally. The Handbook will incorporate all of the PV GAP-approved standards.
• Testing Laboratories Working Group: (Chairman, Dr. Charles Gay): This group will establish criteria and compile a list of testing laboratories to be qualified to test PV components and systems according to IEC and PV GAP Temporary Standards. Reciprocity of test results from PV GAP-qualified Testing Laboratories will be established.

All the work will be completed by the next GAP meeting, scheduled for the beginning of May 1997 in Athens, Greece. GAP's Handbook, GAP's Temporary Standards, and the Testing Laboratories' list will be available to the public in late June, 1997.

The Executive Committee was expanded to seven members: Dr. Peter F. Varadi (Chairman), Mr. John C. Bonda (representing EPIA), Dr. Harvey Forest (representing SEIA), Dr. Charles F. Gay, Prof. Robert Hill, Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink, and Mr. Hidenori Shimizu (representing Japan).

For more information, please contact Dr. Peter F. Varadi (Tel./Fax: 1- 301-657-9110).