PRESS RELEASE: November 23, 1997
Global Approval Program for PV (PV GAP) was formed as an Association in Geneva, Switzerland. PV GAP and IEC/IECQ of Geneva, Switzerland, signed a letter of Intent to utilize the IECQ (International Electrotechnical Committee Quality Assessment System for Electronic Components) system to carry out the Approval process for PV GAP. A brochure describing the PV GAP process is available from the PV GAP Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. The brochure is available free of charge.
PV GAP is publishing a "Reference Manual" (150 pages). The "PV GAP Reference Manual" describes the entire Global Approval Program in detail. The "Reference Manual" contains:
I. Part I. General section (this section describes the PV GAP process, in non-technical terms)
II. Part II. Technical - this part contains details on:
- The approval process (in easy steps)
- The approval process in detail
- Standards (this section provides information on the applicable IEC standards and provides the text of all the existing PV GAP "Recommended Standards.")
- Testing Laboratories (this section contains a world wide list of all of the Testing Laboratories that are able to test PV components and/or systems. The section also provides comments on the capabilities of each of the Testing Laboratories)
- Licensing PV GAP's "PV Quality Mark and Seal"
- Glossary of 500 technical terms (terms used in teh Certification process, as well as Technical terms that are in addition to the Glossary of PV terms published the IEC.)
III. Part III. Statutes and By-Laws of PV GAP.
The PV GAP Reference Manual will be updated periodically. The price of the PV GAP Reference Manual is US$175.00. The PV GAP Reference Manual is available from the PV GAP Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.