Forum on Regional Cooperation: Developing Quality Infrastructure for Photovoltaic Energy Generation

From 13-15 September 2017, in Santiago, Chile, an IRENA forum co-organised with the German Metrology Institute and Solar Committee of the Chilean Economic Development Agency, brought together industry, policy-makers and regulators from thirteen countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to identify the steps required as they prepare to integrate increasing levels of renewable energy from variable sources, such as solar and wind, into their grids. 

At the event, IRENA launched a new report, Boosting Solar PV Markets: The Role of Quality Infrastructure, outlining the best practices to develop and implement Quality Infrastructure for Solar PV. The study showcases successful stories from countries on path towards building up quality infrastructure for different solar PV systems, such as utility scale, distributed generation and off grid. 

The three-day event followed an agenda, that can be summarised into: 

• Day 1:  international as well as Latin American and Caribbean experts exchanged experiences on issues such as policy support for PV market development and mitigating risks for investments in PV through quality infrastructure development.
• Day 2: participants joined different thematic groups to identify the major challenges in terms of quality infrastructure development for photovoltaic systems in the LAC region, and proposed an action plan to be pursue by relevant stakeholders. Additionally, IRENA presented the results from a Quality Infrastructure survey answered by all the participating countries. The survey provided a regional mapping of the distinctive QI institutes in each country and their main needs, serving as input information for the working groups.
• Day 3: Participants visited the Solar Park Quilapilún, having an opportunity to experience Chile’s advances in PV implementation. 

The co-organisers of this event will follow up regarding the action plan drafted by the participants and keep accordingly the active role to promote quality assurance schemes and development of QI in Solar PV markets in LAC. 

Quality Assurance Underpins Investment Confidence in Global PV Market (Press release) 

Presentations Day 1

• Tutorial INSPIRE: IRENA Standards and patents web platform — Alessandra Salgado, IRENA
• PROGRAMA ENERGÍA SOLAR Experiencia en la implementación de plantas FV y la importancia de la infraestructura de la calidad
• Solar Bankability : Mitigating Technical Risks in PV Investment through Quality Infrastructure — Caroline Tjengdrawira, Tractebel Engineering SA
• Tools and Resources — OLADE
• IEC technical standards for PV systems and IECRE Certification for PV systems — George Kelly, Sunset Technology Inc.
• PV Module Reliability: Implications for the Latin American Market — Patricia Darez, DNV
• Project Quality — Niklas Cramer, PTB
• Quality Infrastructure Boosting PV Markets — Francisco Boshell, IRENA
• The solar radiation as key source to be measured — Wolfgang Finslerle, Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos
• Helping Assure the Correct Installation of a PV System — Les Nelson, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials
• Testing in extreme weather conditions — Francisco Boshell, IRENA
• Últimos desarrollos en métodos de ensayo para sistemas fotovoltaicos — Javier Diaz, CENER
• QI Supporting Policy-Making for PV Markets — Les Nelson, NABCEP
• IECRE Certification for PV Systems — George Kelly, Sunset Technology Inc.