Solar Industry’s First Comprehensive Solar PV Module Rating Standards System Created
A first-of-its kind way to easily compare and analyze competing photovoltaic modules online is being released by the Principal Solar Institute, an online resource and reference guide for the solar market.
PSI PV Module Ratings were designed so that solar customers could easily make informed and fact-based decisions between different PV modules.
“Until now, there was no accepted standard for comparing the critical characteristics of PV modules between different manufacturers, or even across a single product line,” says Matthew A. Thompson, Ph.D., executive director of the Principal Solar Institute. “The PSI Ratings elevate the solar industry in a rigorous approach similar to the financial sector, which turns to Standard and Poor’s Ratings for investments, and the air conditioning industry, which relies upon SEER Ratings. We are closing the gap in the solar power industry’s urgent need for a method to uniformly evaluate PV modules in order to make technologically and financially optimal decisions.”
Photovoltaic modules are able to create electrical power while under a very wide variety of environmental conditions. These conditions, such as: irradiance, nominal operating cell temperature, and other ambient conditions exert considerable influence over how much electrical power is generated. Even if two different modules have the same nameplate wattage, they may react to different conditions very differently. “The PSI PV Module Rating is a comparative number that can be used with pricing information, providing power plant designers and buyers with a consistent basis for choosing a particular PV module.”
Michael Gorton, CEO and chairman of Principal Solar, Inc (PSI; OTC Pink: PSWW), explains: “No industry can be considered mature until it has adopted standards. As tireless, passionate promoters of solar as a near-term solution to so many energy-related issues, the Principal Solar Institute is committed to driving solar energy to the forefront of the national energy debate. These standards will help to build the solar industry’s solid foundation of credibility in the minds of energy leaders, investors and industries around the world.”
Source: BusinessWire
Image Credits: Wayne National Forest Solar by Wayne National Forest (some rights reserved)
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