Hanwha Q Cells has become the world’s first solar module manufacturer to pass international product testing institute TUV Rheinland’s new Quality Controlled PV certification.

TUV Rheinland’s QCPV certification is an extended stress test program based on International Electrotechnical Commission technical standards. Compared to the IEC’s certification, which only conducts a short-term credibility test on solar modules, the QCPV certification comprises three stages: short-term and long-term credibility test, daily and monthly monitoring on the manufacturing process and an inspection of raw materials.

“Hanwha Q Cells will adopt the QCPV certification as the company’s official standard for all its solar modules to be produced in the future,” a company official said.

The QCPV’s long-term credibility test is as much as three times longer than IEC’s short-term test and conducted in much more rigorous conditions. Also, for the monitoring, experts dispatched from TUV Rheinland stay at the manufacturing facility to conduct random quality tests on samples. The QCPV also monitors Hanwha Q Cells’ suppliers to ensure the quality of raw materials.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)