Ensure Acceptance Quality Limit (AQL) is not exceeded in your PV production

Defects are a regular occurrence during the production process of PV and energy storage system components (including modules, racking, trackers, inverters, transformers, and battery storage systems). Some of these defects are merely cosmetic and may not affect the overall system performance, but other defects pose safety risks and can negatively impact the overall performance and life of the finished products.

Prior to production for PV modules, racking, and certain ESS components, the contract between supplier and purchaser often agrees upon an “acceptable quality limit (AQL)” which defines the maximum number of defects (critical, major, and minor) allowed in a batch, before the batch will be rejected. Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) are conducted for inverters, transformers, and individual ESS components to test end-use performance requirements. Based on Intertek CEA’s supplier-independent post-production inspections, a significant number of shipments from every supplier are found to contain a level of defects that exceed the agreed upon AQL or FAT limits detailed specified in the purchasing or QA/QC contracts.

Third-party oversight identifies defects and removes them from the sampled lots before they are shipped to end-users.

Comprehensive post-production inspection and testing of sample lots

During pre-shipment final product inspections, Intertek CEA’s team of quality control engineers performs relevant test inspections for a sampled lot of the finished product, according to a list of vetted quality criteria. Inspection of each piece is carried out in the sample lot to ensure conformance with the product specifications. Every finding is recorded and classified according to its risk potential.

Lots that exceed the allowed number of defects may be rejected by Intertek CEA, re-worked by the supplier, and re-inspected by Intertek CEA under tightened inspected criteria. Lots that fail Intertek CEA’s re-inspection may be permanently rejected. For PV modules, the pre-shipment inspections include visual inspections, EL (electroluminescent) tests, and IV (flash) tests. Pre-shipment inspection of racks and trackers include visual inspections and documents review.

Ensure AQL standards are satisfied, and defective products are not shipped

Intertek CEA’s comprehensive pre-shipment inspections covering PV modules, racking components, and energy storage system components (cell, module, and rack) identify defects exceeding the AQL standards and ensure the defective products are not shipped. Identifying and removing defective products from being shipped reduces risk and optimizes the performance and life of your products.

Through Intertek CEA’s Pre-Shipment Inspections, you will gain:

  • Comprehensive inspection reports detailing the inspection and test outcomes, severity of defects, and number of rejected products

  • Ongoing monitoring of production and shipment schedules or expected delays

  • Access to Intertek CEA’s on-the-ground technology and quality experts who provide recommendations to the supplier to improve their processes and reduce defects over time

  • Access to Intertek CEA’s proprietary software and tools for accessing and reporting on your project data over time

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