Publications

Abstract not provided.

Florida legislation enacted in 1976 directed the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) to develop standards for solar energy systems manufactured or sold in the state, establish criteria for testing the performance of solar energy systems, and provide a means to display compliance with approved performance tests for these systems. This mandate has been effectively implemented for both solar domestic water heating and solar pool heating systems. With growing interest and markets for photovoltaic systems, plans are presently being developed to expand the scope of the mandate to include photovoltaic technology. This paper discusses four complementary facets of a photovoltaic (PV) system certification program. They include PV module performance characterization and rating; PV system design review and approval; examination and authorization of photovoltaic system installers; and inspection and acceptance testing of PV system installation. The suggested photovoltaic system process builds on lessons learned from over 20 years of testing, certifying and labeling of solar thermal collectors, and the certification of solar thermal systems.

The papers in this special issue have been selected from the systems and balance-of- systems sessions at the 1998 Photovoltaic Performance and Reliability Workshop. The workshop was held November 3-5, 1998 and hosted by the Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa Beach, Florida under sponsorship of the US National Center for Photovoltaics (National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories). The topics and issues addressed by these papers were identified in an invited review paper on PV systems by the guest editors. Their work was published earlier this year in Volume 7, Number 1 of Progress in Photovoltaics ('Photovoltaic Systems: An End-of-Millennium Review'). Experts in the PV community were asked to make presentations on these topics at the workshop. The papers that follow are the results of that effort. The papers are organized by topic: (1) codes and standards; (2) reliability; (3) design issues; and (4) commercialization.

After a decade of photovoltaic system research, most system related issues have been successfully resolved. Current system research activities are now oriented toward maintaining and updating the comprehensive database on system performance established by previous research efforts, integrating new components into system designs, and transferring the accumulated information to industry and users of the technology. This paper presents a brief overview of the status of system research in the United States, emphasizing three key activities - field evaluation, balance-of-system hardware development, and technology transfer. 5 refs., 2 tabs.

The Design Assistance Center (DAC) has developed a database of design, performance, and operating experience for remote photovoltaic (PV) systems. The DAC uses this database to assist potential users in evaluating PV for their specific applications and to accelerate the acceptance of PV as a viable power option for remote applications. 12 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.