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STS RELEASES STS-STD-PVM1, THE FIRST INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR MANUFACTURING AND DISPATCH APPROVAL OF PV MODULES

 

Shanghai, May 22, 2018

 

STS, the industry leader in PV modules quality control, announces today the release of its final version of the standard STS-STD-PVM1:2018© for Approval of PV Modules Manufacturing and Dispatch.

This Standard is unique in the way it finally enables PV modules suppliers and buyers apply specific requirements during production and dispatch to qualify PV modules quality.

The goal of this Standard is to draw the requirements for manufacturing, dispatch, inspection undertaken at manufacturing premises, and related testing activities taking place at ISO17025 accredited laboratories. It does not aim to replace but instead to complement the established IEC and UL standards, taking into account the reality of PV modules conditions during mass-production.

STS-STD-PVM1:2018© has been developed based on existing standards, known limitations, extensive internal research, extended reliability testing and technical debates with manufacturers involved. More than 5GWp of manufacturing witness experience by STS has been used as one critical input baseline in addressing the reliability and practicality of the Standard, to both secure quality and performance for Buyers while addressing challenges faced by manufacturers.

 

Alexandre Minuzzo, President of STS further explains:

“While IEC and UL standards are references to qualify PV modules design, safety and performance relative to specific environments, buyers and lenders are confronted to the challenge of validating the quality of modules coming out of the production line. Manufacturers had to define their own control methods and acceptance criteria as many of those are not addressed by such international standards. Consulting agencies have brought requirements to the Buyers without solid basis for Buyers to be guaranteed of getting the products quality and performance they were betting their investment on.

For 8 years, STS has perceived and worked on addressing this situation that often lead to conflicts between Buyers and Manufacturers. Through our research, implementation of requirements at factories, feedback from producers, reliability tests analysis, we are now able to bridge this gap and offer consensus to all stakeholders. We have developed this Standard with the spirit that it must be practical and easy to execute to serve a quality-effective yet economic purpose. With STS-STD-PVM1:2018©, we finally bring the industry standard that was critically needed by the PV community to drastically reduce risks of underperforming PV modules and ensure financial returns of solar assets.”

STS team will provide further introduction of STS-STD-PVM1:2018© during SNEC in Shanghai from May 28th to 30th. Stakeholders are invited to visit STS booth located at Hall N1, booth number N1-693. Appointments can be made in advance by contacting Mr. Javie Yin at javie@sts-certified.com.

STS-STD-PVM1:2018© Standard can be ordered via STS website (www.sts-certified.com) or by contacting STS team at technical.support@sts-certified.com.

STS is a private entity specialized in quality assurance and quality control services. Since its creation, the organization has been focusing its efforts on addressing quality-related risks for end-users and tackling undefined or ineffectively defined areas of manufacturing, dispatch and inspection by third parties.

For more information, contact info@sts-certified.com or visit our website at www.sts-certified.com.

Auditor

Auditor – Shanghai / Kunshan

Main Mission:

  1. Guarantee along purchasing process the conformity of purchased products
  2. Drive preventive action related to suppliers in partnership with purchasing dept
  3. Evaluate and improve current suppliers quality level
  4. Promote company policy in terms of quality, environment, ethic

Main Responsibilities:

  1. Plan and perform supplier validation audits
  2. Plan and perform supplier follow up audits
  3. Evaluate monthly performance of the suppliers
  4. Initiate and follow up suppliers non conformity reports
  5. Perform on site quality inspections of products
  6. Participate in cost reduction by quality improvements
  7. Other duties as required by management
  8. Be willing to travel
  9. Located in Shanghai or Kunshan

If you are interested in this job offer, please send us your résumé at careers@sts-certified.com
Job Title: Auditor
Location: Shanghai or Kunshan
Type of Contract: Open-ended, Full-Time

STS issues “Results 2011 Presentation”: a free report on PV modules’ quality

STS issues “Results 2011 Presentation”: a free report on PV modules’ quality

STS Certified, a leading provider of mass-production scale testing and certification solutions, is releasing today the results of the tests the company has performed on PV modules throughout 2011. The free report is available for download on STS website.

Last year, STS has tested more than 77,000 solar panels, which has enabled the company to determine the most common defects occurring during the manufacturing of PV modules. STS’ report gathers the tests results and analyzes the data collected, in order to provide the PV industry’s stakeholders with an accurate picture of the actual situation in terms of quality among PV makers from China. The report details the main defects detected while testing the panels, which include Cells Quality, Performances, and Workmanship.

Furthermore, the report highlights the differences between manufacturers ranging from 120MW to 800MW, and analyzes how the manufacturers have been responding to their own results, showing the evolution of their defect rates.

About STS Certified

STS Certified is a leading provider of testing solutions and services. Providing inspection, testing and product certification on mass production (100% of the modules are tested), STS assesses the quality of cells, workmanship and performance on AAA-rated testing equipment.

Contact

Thibaut Lemoine
General Manager
thibaut.lemoine@sts-certified.com

STS-Certified contracted by Activ Solar for audit, testing and inspection services

STS-Certified contracted by Activ Solar for audit, testing and inspection services

STS Certified, a leading provider of quality assurance services, mass-production scale testing and certification solutions, announces that it has been awarded a service contract by leading Vienna-based project developer Activ Solar to provide audit, testing and inspection services.

Thibaut Lemoine, General Manager at STS-Certified, comments this agreement: “We are proud to have been selected by Activ Solar as a provider of quality assurance services. The services we provide through this agreement offer a comprehensive quality assurance solution, including factory audit, inspection and products testing. This agreement is a sign that STS-Certified is increasingly recognized by major solar developers and EPC companies as a reference for audit, mass-scale testing and inspection services. It also shows that mass-production scale testing services are considered necessary by more and more project developers, reflecting an increased awareness about quality issues in the PV industry.”

Kaveh Ertefai, CEO of Activ Solar, adds: “The projects we develop maintain a strong focus on top quality, high efficiency and stable returns. This is why Activ Solar is committed to source highest quality products from the market”.

About STS Certified

STS-Certified is a leading provider of quality assurance services, mass-production scale testing and certification solutions. Providing comprehensive services covering the entire life cycle of PV plants, from design to decommissioning, STS-Certified guarantees the long-term performance of the projects under its supervision.

Contact

Thibaut Lemoine
General Manager
thibaut.lemoine@sts-certified.com

STS-Certified publishes a Statistical analysis of PV module quality in mass production

STS-Certified publishes a Statistical analysis of PV module quality in mass production

STS Certified, a leading provider of quality assurance services, mass-production scale testing and certification solutions, announces the publication of a statistical analysis based on the results of the tests of tens of thousands of PV modules performed by the company between January and September 2013. The report is available for download free of charge at www.sts-certified.com

By performing tests at a module level in mass-production scale, STS reveals the actual quality level of PV module manufacturers in the most representative and comprehensive way. The report offers a detailed perspective on which quality defects are the most present in PV modules, and at which frequency, so that PV module buyers and PV projects stakeholders can better anticipate the required actions to prevent failure of PV modules. Going beyond quality assurance services offered to PV buyers, STS also aims at supporting PV module manufacturers improve quality management processes to reach stable quality at mass-scale production.

The results notably reveal an overall rate of defective panels of 25.2%, representing an increase of 88% from the 13.4% defect rate observed by STS-Certified in 2012. Defects in solar cells (e.g. micro-cracks) account for the majority of defects (58.9%) detected during the tests. Most defects (77%) were classified as major defects, hence putting the PV modules’ performance at risk in the short to long term.

Thibaut Lemoine, General Manager at STS-Certified, comments this new publication: “Thanks to our proprietary testing process, we are able to perform tests on PV modules at large scale and therefore have access to data that virtually no other laboratory has ever been able to compile. For the period from January to September 2013, we observed a sharp increase in defects on solar panels compared with our data compiled in 2012, which is rather a negative signal for the solar industry. Although we have observed a positive learning curve for manufacturers whose products are frequently tested by STS, for many it remains challenging to maintain stable quality at mass production. It is too often assumed that manufacturers commercializing products certified against IEC or UL standards are delivering compliant or quality products. The methods of testing and inspection developed by STS are rather unique in the solar industry and provide an objective solution towards quality improvements at mass-scale.”

The report is available for download free of charge on www.sts-certified.com

About STS Certified

STS-Certified is a leading provider of quality assurance services, mass-production scale testing and certification solutions. More than testing, inspecting and certifying products, STS helps the PV industry stakeholders from manufacturers to authorities and regulation agencies make certain that the projects they are taking part to will perform properly on the long course.

Contact

Thibaut Lemoine
General Manager
thibaut.lemoine@sts-certified.com

STS ACHIEVED 1.5GWp OF PV MODULES INSPECTION IN 2016

STS ACHIEVED 1.5GWp OF PV MODULES INSPECTION IN 2016

STS, a company specialized in PV modules quality assurance and technical services, announces today that it has performed quality inspection services on a total of 1,521.13MWp worth of PV modules in 2016.

Inspections were performed mainly in China, at 8 manufacturers in 12 locations.

Out of 1,521.13Mwp of inspections, 1,422MWp underwent STS 24/7 in-line production witness inspection.

In 2016, STS has further enhanced its inspection management methods to optimize inspection at such scale. STS methods make available to its clients key decision metrics to assess their vendors’ capability, while ensuring continuous transparency. The company now counts more than 50 full time engineers specialized in PV module quality inspection.

With the performance seen on PV system and renewed trust in its services by its clients, and the increasing demand for its services, STS expects to perform between 2.8GWp and 3.0GWp of PV modules inspection in 2017.

For more information, contact info@sts-certified.com or visit our website at www.sts-certified.com.

STS RECEIVES SINGLE ORDER OF 1.17GWp PV MODULES INSPECTION.

Shanghai, August 30, 2017

STS, the industry’s largest PV modules inspection agency, announces today that it has received a firm order for 1,177MWp worth of PV modules inspection from Sterling & Wilson Pvt. Ltd., world’s no.1 pure-play Solar EPC (outside USA and China).

Inspection is being performed in China and follows STS full scope of 24/7 in-line production witness, pre-shipment inspection, laboratory tests and container loading on the entire production. PV modules will be installed on a single PV system in the United Arab Emirates on the world’s largest stand-alone PV park.

Once again, STS demonstrates its ability to undertake PV modules inspections at a gigawatt scale thanks to advanced and proprietary inspection and quality assurance methods developed by the company. This enables quality-focused clients like Sterling & Wilson to benefit from STS ability to secure products quality.

Inspection work for which STS is contracted already started and is expected to last for a period of 12 months.

For more information, contact info@sts-certified.com or visit our website at www.sts-certified.com.

STS INSPECTED OVER 2GWp OF PV MODULES IN 5 MONTHS, APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

STS INSPECTED OVER 2GWp OF PV MODULES IN 5 MONTHS, APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS.

Shanghai, June 16, 2017


STS, a company specialized in PV modules quality assurance and technical services, announces today that it has performed quality inspection services on a total of 2,033.34MWp worth of PV modules for the period of January to May 2017.

Inspections were mainly performed in China and Vietnam, at up to 16 locations simultaneously.

Out of 2,033.34Mwp of inspections, 1,895MWp underwent STS 24/7 in-line production witness inspection.

STS has demonstrated during that period its ability to undertake PV modules inspections at a scale never achieved before thanks to advanced and proprietary inspection and quality assurance methods developed by the company. This enables more clients to benefit from STS ability to secure products quality.

During the same period, the company has appointed M. Laurent Garnier as Director of Operations. M. Garnier, who brings nearly a decade of experience in Chinese manufacturing and supplier quality management. At this position, he will undertake the responsibility to strengthen STS technical support to module manufacturers to further stabilize their manufacturing process and quality, and set the ground for the company’s further growth.

Following the strong demand for its services, STS is raising its 2017 guidance from previous estimate of 2.8GWp to 3.0GWp of PV modules inspection to between 3.8GWp and 4.0GWp.

For more information, contact info@sts-certified.com or visit our website at www.sts-certified.com.