Survey of National and International Standards, Guidelines & QA Procedures for Stand-alone PV Systems T3-07: 2004 (504 kB)

This document provides a complete picture of the present status of national and international guidelines and QA procedures for stand-alone PV systems. It describes the results of surveys completed by project experts around the world into current guidelines and QA procedures for PV in their respective countries. In addition, it includes a comprehensive study of international guidelines undertaken by IT Power.

Managing the Quality of Stand Alone Photovoltaic systems: Recommended Practices T3-15: 2003 (981 kB)

A strong emphasis on quality aspects is essential for the long term success of any PV project. However, stand-alone PV systems are frequently installed with little or no attention to quality issues. One of the main reasons for this is that the work required to implement quality procedures is perceived as being complicated and costly. Unfortunately, this perception gives rise to many project failures which are both costly and difficult to rectify.

In addition to the recommended practices document, a series of case studies was also produced. T3-15 (2): 2003 (717 kB)

Demand Side Management in Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Power Systems T3-13: 2003 DSM (735 kB)

When planning and designing stand-alone PV and PV hybrid systems for rural electrification a lot of effort and expenses are given to system design with respect to electricity generation and electricity storage. Very often the demand side is not taken into account at all or is only considered to be of minor importance. Nevertheless, reasons for system failure can often be found on the neglected demand side.

One of the main performance criteria of a stand-alone PV or PV hybrid system is reliability. Therefore Demand Side Management (DSM) has its main role in system operation. As soon as those systems or the electricity generated is sold DSM becomes an important role in system design as only excellent DSM allows the supply of planned energy services with the minimum system size and system cost. Life-cycle costs of PV hybrid systems can be smaller than those of diesel only generator systems when the community is aware of DSM methodologies.

This document discusses DSM techniques and methodologies that lead to more economic system designs, supplying more and better energy services with the same system sizes and finally more satisfied users.

Guidelines for Protection Against the Effects of Lightning on Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems T3-13: 2003 (168 kB)

This report first gathers general information about photovoltaic installations lightning protection measures and then describes lightning experts' recommendations for different specific installations. Seven examples of common installations with photovoltaic systems, as listed below, are then separately considered.

Management of Storage Batteries used in Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Power Systems T3-10: 2002 (1.975 MB)

Effective management is needed to maintain a storage battery in a favourable state of charge during its working life. This document assesses the various management approaches that are used for a lead-acid battery incorporated into a photovoltaic power system.

Testing of Storage Batteries used in Stand Alone Photovoltaic Power Systems Test procedures and examples of test results T3-11: 2002 (2.7 MB)

This document makes an analysis of cycling test procedures for batteries used in stand alone photovoltaic power systems. The main objective of a cycling test procedure is to evaluate the battery lifetime, expressed in terms of reduced capacity, by reproducing a typical use of the battery in the field. This document presents an overview of frequently used battery test procedures. A description of seven cycling test procedures is made and the performance of more than 40 batteries of various types is presented.

Use of appliances in stand-alone PV power systems: problems and solutions T3-09: 2002 (578 kB)