Press conference of TÜV Rheinland 2019 Solar Congress successfully held in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, Sept. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 7, the TÜV Rheinland Group (TÜV Rheinland), a leading provider of testing, inspection, and certification of technical services worldwide, held a press conference in Shanghai announcing the 2019 "All Quality Matters" Solar Congress (organized by TÜV Rheinland and China Photovoltaic Society (CPVS)) to be held in Suzhou. At the same time, selection of the PV "All Quality Matters" Award was officially kicked off. More than 80 industry elites and experts gathered together to discuss hot topics and to focus on the forefront of the industry.

Welcome the fifth "All Quality Matters" Solar Congress

Next year, TÜV Rheinland will welcome the fifth "All Quality Matters" Solar Congress. Every year, the "All Quality Matters" Solar Congress has been a leader in trends for the industry. The TÜV Rheinland "All Quality Matters" Award has become a stage for quality competition for the participating enterprises. Over the past few years, the Solar Congress has been a witness to the development of the industry. The market has transformed from a summer of boom to a winter of excess manufacturing capacity, from low-level competition in production capacity to upgrade toward high quality and intelligent product development, from import of technology and materials to export of products and capacity. Over the past few years, TÜV Rheinland has persisted in building a communication platform for the industry in order to improve connections between firms, and facilitate the initiation of these firms into the economy. At the same time, TÜV Rheinland has established a model of excellence for enterprises in order to improve their knowledge with better understanding about the importance of quality and innovation.

In past Solar Congresses, many experts and representatives from different enterprises have discussed multiple topics regarding technological development, quality control, and certification & inspection, as well as construction, operation & maintenance, funding, and insurance of photovoltaic power plants. The White Books published cover the industrial development of PV modules, sustainable business model of solar power plants, application of energy storage systems and a series of in-depth investigations. As a valuable collection of information for the industry, the White Books have attracted the spotlight. The "All Quality Matters" Awards were granted to a list of enterprises of excellence that have long been pioneer models for the industry. These enterprises have made a great contribution in developing the solar power plant industry of China, and played a meaningful role in global mid-high quality production.

Chris Zou, Vice President of Solar Service at TÜV Rheinland Greater China, stated that, "We have never forgotten our prime mission along the way. We continuously encourage innovation, offer solutions in upgrading product performance, improving product quality and safety to manufacturers. We have also strengthened our cooperation with financial firms to discover a new business model for solar power plants."

"Although the new policy released on "May 31" has brought great shock to the industry, it is tantamount to removing irregularities from the industry. The development of the photovoltaic industry will be healthier and more energetic in the future. We have always emphasized that China's PV industry needs to shift from focusing on 'quantity' to 'quality'. TÜV Rheinland has played a very important role in the industry. The CPVS has also been active in promoting the 'China Efficiency Project', which now coincides with the original intention of the TÜV Rheinland "All Quality Matters" Solar Congress. We are very happy to be the co-organizers of the congress. I hope to join hands with TÜV Rheinland to promote the sustainable development of China's photovoltaic industry," CPVS Secretary-General Ms. Lv said.

At the press conference, Mr. Zou also stated that early next year TÜV Rheinland will formally announce the publication of a "China PV Power Plant Assets Transaction White Paper 2019". This white paper is in reference to the Japanese PV market from "installation market" to "transaction market", which is attributed to the Chinese market. It also involves typical problems in the operation of photovoltaic power plants and impact to the financial model, components reliability, failure analysis, root-cause analysis, comparison of energy yield prediction, and actual operation data, detailing the asset management and operation & maintenance of photovoltaic power plants, as well as PV power plant asset transactions aspects of concern.

"Photovoltaic Power Plant Operation and Maintenance Company Award" complies with the new solar power plant policy

New government policies address such matters as "suspending applications for permits for solar power plants on the ground surface," "limiting construction of distributed power plants," "reducing on-grid power tariffs," etc. This year, the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Energy worked jointly to introduce the 531 new policies, which have significantly slowed down the rapid development of solar power plants. The policies have significant meaning for the industry, as they signify further controls on solar power generation most likely to be implemented by the government. Strict control policies mean that the industry scale and standard will come under exacting surveillance. For this reason, Zou believes that the new policies will present new difficulties for the industry, but at the same time implies great opportunities in the elimination process. Companies with poor technology or have a reliance on subsidies will eventually disappear, and will be replaced by competitive enterprises with outstanding quality value.

Under the new rules, the focus of competition is shifted to existing power plants operation & maintenance market. According to data from IHS Markit, the market for solar power plants after quota reduction performed better than expected in early 2017, and market demand has increased steadily since the beginning of 2018. For the operation and maintenance markets, the massive scale of device installations has offered a great source of income for those involved in its development. In the open-market competition for device installation, the rushed setup of solar power plants has caused increasing quality issues. In the future, for the operation and maintenance markets to continuously thrive with stability in a fast and healthy manner, business operators must improve their management approach for solar power plant assets.

To lead PV firms to meet the new policy requirements, optimize existing power plants, and improve operation and maintenance services, at the press conference, TÜV Rheinland announced that the 2019 "All Quality Matters" Solar Congress would include the "Photovoltaic Power Plant Operation and Maintenance Company Award." Chao An, TÜV Rheinland Greater China PV Power Plants & System commercial manager, explained rating requirements for the competition in full detail. TÜV Rheinland is currently the leading Company in the world for certification and testing solar power plants, modules, inverters, and components. With its rich experience in solar power plant services, TÜV Rheinland has created its own set of operation and maintenance standards. TÜV Rheinland is also the leading enterprise for certification in solar power plant operation and maintenance service in China. Through the competition stimulated by the "Photovoltaic Power Plant Operation and Maintenance Company Award," TÜV Rheinland will establish a new quality standard for the market, promoting the industry development in a new environment.

Beyond the new "Photovoltaic Power Plant Operation and Maintenance Company Award," the next Solar Congress will continue its annual ratings in three different photovoltaic categories: PV Module, PV Component, and PV Electronics. Yichi Zhang, General Manager of PV Module at TÜV Rheinland Greater China; Chengli Bai, General Manager of PV Component at TÜV Rheinland Greater China; and Weichun Li, General Manager of PV Electronics at TÜV Rheinland Greater China explained the rating standards for the three categories at the press conference. The "All Quality Matters" Award is a major event at the Solar Congress every year, and has achieved great recognition throughout the industry because of its authority, professionalism, and fairness. All award categories are now open for application.

Against the chill winds, strive with industrial partners in difficult times

After the press conference, representatives at the congress engaged in further discussion on the hot topics of the industry. The topics mainly focused on the "531 new policies" and "China enterprise exports." In discussions concerning the relationship between the new policies and innovation, many representatives expressed that the effects must be dialectically considered before rushing to any conclusions. With the reduction of on-grid power tariffs and subsidy level, outdated products will be obsoleted at a faster rate; on the other hand, the increased costs may also hinder the development of new technologies.

With the introduction of the 531 new policies, the third integration of the PV industry since 2008 begins. Cost reductions and efficiency improvements are the keys to surviving in the new competitive arena. Trade disagreements are escalating; the European market size is not large despite the European Union removing anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed on imports of PV cells and modules from China; the Indian policy is unstable; and overseas buyers are becoming increasingly demanding. The photovoltaic industry is facing a lot of challenges.

Addressing these matters, Chris Zou stated that, "The harshest policies -- the 531 new policies -- and the ever-changing international environment have driven the photovoltaic industry to transform and improve. TÜV Rheinland shall rely on its professional experience of over 35 years of service in the photovoltaic industry to assist Chinese enterprises in capturing new opportunities and overcoming new challenges. Combining intelligence and power, TÜV Rheinland strives with its industrial partners to face difficult times and reach new heights. The 2019 'All Quality Matters' Solar Congress is awaiting participants in Suzhou.

SOURCE TUV Rheinland Group