JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. and the Germany-based VDE Testing and Certification Institute have launched a partnership to promote quality assurance and technical bankability in the solar sector.
JA Solar and the VDE Institute, which works closely with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), say current certification processes based on existing international standards are not stringent enough to provide a meaningful measure of long-term solar module reliability and performance. They say this has resulted in the perceived commoditization of what are highly differentiated products.
The joint initiative aims to address this perception by raising awareness of the influence of technical bankability not just on product performance, but also on the ability of solar power plant investors and end users to realize anticipated financial returns.
‘This partnership with JA Solar … aims to ensure investors and customers really appreciate the impact of product reliability and performance on their ability to meet investment goals and energy needs,’ says VDE Institute Managing Director Wilfried Jaeger. ‘Ultimately, we want to help customers and investors make more informed choices.’
In June, the VDE Institute was appointed by the Chinese International Cooperation Center – National Development and Reform Commission to evaluate Chinese solar module manufacturers to enable China's insurance and banking industries to accurately identify quality solar sector firms.
