PVEL launches crowdsourced inverter testing programme

• PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) has released a crowdsourced testing programme that will certainly collaborate with solar financiers, developers and property proprietors to evaluate inverters and also does not need supplier involvement.

The Inverter Crowd Power Product Qualification Program (PQP) will see testing carried out on commercially bought inverters and also will match the tests PVEL uses in its conventional Inverter PQP, introduced in 2014.

By giving clear as well as reliable data to purchasers, the crowdsourced system will measure product efficiency and also lower buyers' threat of obtaining inverters with restricted area release, according to PVEL.

Both testing regimens include field-representative safety and security, dependability, and performance testing under differing ecological as well as interconnection conditions.

The different testing techniques will certainly be used to sustain datasheet validation for more accurate performance and income designs; dependability evaluations for improved operation as well as upkeep (O&M) price and replacement rate forecast precision; and safety and security analyses for trusted arc as well as ground fault detection in fielded systems.

" PVEL's crowdsourced testing gives inverter purchasers the opportunity to leverage empirical information over the cases of product advertising products. Preliminary responses from our downstream companions has been overwhelmingly positive," said Tara Doyle, primary commercial police officer of PVEL.

" With or without maker involvement, we will certainly ensure PVEL's technical insights for release of premium tools are readily available to the solar market."

PVEL claimed that while Ginlong Solis and also Chint Power Systems have just recently sent their 250+ kW/h inverters for testing, the large bulk of inverter suppliers do not generally take part in independent testing that goes beyond certification standards.

The independent testing lab regularly generates module and also inverter 'Top Performer' rankings via its integrity scorecard. Previously this year, PV Tech spoke to PVEL's head of PV module company Tristan Erion-Lorico concerning junction box failure, testing for the aspects and what designers must think about when making use of the scorecard.

Begun in 2010 in California, PVEL ran under DNV from 2014-2019. It entered into the Netherlands-based KIWA team of companies this year.