Global Approval Program for Photovoltaics

Press Release: 10 May 1999

International Consensus Meeting on PV Quality Standards

Geneva, Switzerland--Sixty-four experts from 18 countries recently gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, to review and improve two quality manuals developed to support the successful implementation of photovoltaics (PV) in developing countries. The first manual provides a guide for instituting quality systems at small manufacturing plants, while the second provides a guide for qualifying testing laboratories for PV components and systems.

This effort was made possible through a contract with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and with support from the Swiss Government and the Joyce Mertz-Gilmore Foundation.

In conjunction with the world development community and the solar photovoltaics (PV) industry, the Global Approval Program for Photovoltaics (PV GAP) was organized, in 1996, to coordinate and develop international standards for PV hardware components and systems. This meeting and the development of these manuals were seen as crucial early steps in ensuring the long-term success of PV in developing markets.

As a follow-on to this work, the World Bank, with funding from the government of The Netherlands, is supporting the pilot implementation of these quality systems in India, Sri Lanka, and China. The expected result of this pilot phase is a template that will be available for PV development efforts around the world.

For further information, contact Mr. Richard Kay, PV GAP, c/o IEC Central Office, 3 rue de Varembe, Box 131, CH-1211 Geneva SWITZERLAND; phone: 41 22 919 0216; fax: 41 22 919 0300; e-mail: rk@iec.ch; or visit the Web site at http://www.pvgap.org.

or, contact: Dr. Peter Varadi, PV GAP; Telephone: 301-657-9110; Fax: 301-657-9110; e-mail: pvaradi@aol.com