As the leader in PV Module conformity assessment and technical advisor, STS announces the release of two new addendums to its first industry standard for PV Modules manufacturing and dispatch approval – STS-STD-PVM1:2018© on May 13, 2020.

The two new addendums have been developed based on STS manufacturing witness experience and technical consultation with industry stakeholders and are respectively referenced as STS-STD-PVM1-2:2018© AA2 and STS-STD-PVM1-2:2018© AA3.

STS-STD-PVM1-2:2018© AA2 complements the Standard by adding and modifying requirements when Laser-cut photovoltaics solar cells are to be used instead of full photovoltaics solar cells during the manufacturing of PV modules, among which:

• Production control has been updated
• Additional production process – solar cell cut process and related quality control items have been added.
• Single micro-crack requirement has been updated accordingly.

STS-STD-PVM1-2:2018© AA3 addresses multi-busbars photovoltaics solar cells used instead of ribbons-soldered photovoltaics solar cells during the manufacturing of PV modules, among which:

• Quality control requirements of soldering strength and soldering position deviation have been updated as per the newer solar cell design.
• Soldering position deviation has been updated.

STS keeps ahead of updating the standard requirements adapting the development of new PV Modules technologies to continually support module buyers better secure quality at Pre-Dispatch Inspection.

About STS-STD-PVM1:2018©

STS-STD-PVM1:2018© is the one and only Standard for Approval of PV Modules Manufacturing and Dispatch, developed based on existing standards, technical consultation with the industry stakeholders, extended reliability testing, extensive internal research, and STS manufacturing witness experience of more than 5GWp.

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

✓ Applicable to all key PV modules technologies

✓ Risk-averse: sets requirements to reduce true risks related to PV modules manufacturing

✓ Release of an ISO-compliant Certificate of Conformity

✓ Widely known and used: >2GWp executed, >15 factories

✓ Proven improvements in PV modules quality and performance