Quality Management in Photovoltaics Quality Control Training Manual for Manufacturers

By Varadi, Peter F.

Book Id: WPLBN0000066473
Format Type: PDF eBook
File Size: 0.1 MB
Reproduction Date: 2005

Title:	Quality Management in Photovoltaics Quality Control Training Manual for Manufacturers
Author:	Varadi, Peter F.
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Economics, Finance & business, World Bank.
Collections:	Economics Publications Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	The World Bank


Citation APA MLA Chicago Varadi, P. F. (n.d.). Quality Management in Photovoltaics Quality Control Training Manual for Manufacturers. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Description
Economics

Excerpt
Preface: Photovoltaic (PV) products are manufactured in many countries and sold all over the world. Most work well and are very reliable, with the result that industry market growth is higher now than at any time in the last 15 years. Although there are no worldwide statistics, product failures are probably less than 5 percent of total shipments, and the quality of modules produced by the major manufacturers is outstanding. PV product failures are predominantly attributable to manufacturers and systems integrators in developing countries, although some developing countries have much higher product quality than others. Even though the overwhelming majority of PV companies deploy quality systems, it is necessary to bring those that do not up to the level of the rest of the PV industry to avoid jeopardizing customer confidence in the quality and reliability of PV products. The purpose of this training manual is to establish global quality standards and to begin to help everyone in the industry meet them. This will not happen overnight, and some very real barriers must be addressed. Good quality is always cheaper in the end, however, and companies that strive for it can expect to be rewarded with greater profits. Other industries have faced similar challenges and have created some solutions that the PV industry can study and adopt. Today the globally accepted system for a quality management of the manufacturing process is the ISO 9000 standard. It is generic and, therefore, is used in many industries. At present, a few PV manufacturers primarily larger and older ones meet the ISO 9000 standard, but many do not. Of the latter, many simply may not know about the standard, but others think that the ISO 9000 system is too technical and expensive to be practical for small and medium-size companies to implement. Recognizing that this is a valid concern and that the original ISO 9000 documentation was far from user-friendly, the Global Approval Program for Photovoltaics (PV GAP) has developed this manual to spell out in simple terms what is required by the ISO 9000 standard and to provide forms that PV companies can refer to, to easily and inexpensively install a quality manufacturing management system without having to hire an extensive staff. PV GAP was established by the PV industry to establish a uniform approach to quality assurance. This training manual, Quality Management in Photovoltaics, is part of that effort and was prepared for the World Bank. It builds on an earlier manual that PV GAP developed under a contract from the Energy and Atmosphere Programme of the United Nations Development Programme that focused on one key requirement of the ISO 9000 standard the development of a quality process manual. This training manual completes the picture by explaining all the ISO 9000 requirements and giving companies the tools they need to comply with them fully, but with an economy of effort. It describes how the PV GAP system uses the established International Electrotechnical Commission Quality Assurance System for Electronic Components (IECQ). The manual also introduces the PV quality Mark and Seal and explains how they help...