SEMA News - 2011
Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association holds informative July meeting
2011 July 18
The Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association (SEMA) held a standing room only meeting on July 14 at the Palomar Hotel in San Francisco in conjunction with the recent Intersolar NA/ SEMICON West expos.
A wide range of participants including suppliers, module and cell manufacturers, safety, and government personnel attended the meeting to learn about SEMA’s initiatives in both long-term reliability and module traceability. The industry now is producing in excess of 30,000,000 modules per year globally with insufficient data about long-term reliability and limited traceability.
Jasbir Bath, technical committee chairman, reported on SEMA’s long-term reliability report, which encompasses reliability, durability, service lifetimes and bankability. This cooperative industry effort will discuss testing, failure mechanisms, and modeling for both modules and inverters, and will be available only to SEMA members.
Matt Holzmann, president of SEMA, then discussed the multi-generational nature of solar modules and installations, where lifetimes are expected to exceed 25 years. With a wide range of module types and specifications, it is essential to be able to identify electrical and other specifications rapidly in order to address warranty and lifetime issues, code enforcement, safety, field service, and recycling. With more than 700 companies worldwide manufacturing modules and solar products, SEMA has opened the discussion of some form of international traceability standard and welcomes all stakeholders to participate.
Jon Custer-Topai of The Custer Consulting group then delivered the keynote of the meeting with an evaluation of the status and prospects of the solar power manufacturing industry. Topics discussed included:
• An overview of general and solar photovoltaic business conditions
• Where the solar industry supply chain is on the current business cycle
• What is driving the industry
• An analysis and 2011 forecast based on global historical data and leading indicators that include industrial production by region, global purchasing manager’s index and electronic equipment shipments. www.solar-ema.org
SEMA confirms booth at Intersolar North America
2011 July 8
The Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association (SEMA) will have a membership booth at the Intersolar North America Show, scheduled to take place July 12-14, 2011 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
Courtesy of Flexlink, the SEMA booth will be on the third floor of the Intersolar show at the Moscone Center in the West Hall, Booth #9311. SEMA members will be on hand from companies including Christopher Associates, 2BG Solar, Flexlink, IC Resources, Solar Frontier Americas and Ixmation to answer questions about the organization and the work it is doing in regards to training courses, reliability assessment and other areas in the PV field.
SEMA is a member-driven organization dedicated to the solar engineering/manufacturing base, working to address gaps in education/training, standards, reliability, cost reduction and technology. SEMA members include industry-leading companies from all facets of PV manufacturing, including suppliers, educators, and module and cell manufacturers. www.solar-ema.org
Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association to hold meeting in San Francisco in July
2011 June 24
The Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association (SEMA) will hold a meeting on Thursday, July 14, 2011 from 8:15-9:45 a.m. at the Palomar Hotel located at12 Fourth Street in San Francisco. The Hotel Palomar is only two blocks away from the Moscone Convention Center, where Intersolar North America will take place.
Noted industry expert Jonathan Custer-Topai, vice president of Custer Consulting Group, will deliver a presentation reviewing business conditions and economic trends affecting the PV industry. Other topics to be discussed include a SEMA technical/membership update and other association news.
Sold-out SEMA Training Course successfully provided hands-on and academic benefits to attendees
2011 June 7
The Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association (SEMA) announces the success of its Training Course on Manufacturing Technology, PV Module Trouble Shooting and Standards, which took place at the Flextronics International campus in Milpitas, CA on May 24, 2011. The training course consisted of two parts.
Part 1 outlined manufacturing technology and troubleshooting PV manufacturing, and was instructed by Christine Bordonaro, Product Manager for Satcon Technology Corporation. Part 2 focused on UL1703 and IEC 61215 standards and consisted of a standards overview instructed by Allen Zielnik of Atlas.
The event was sold out with attendees from various companies, ranging from PV module manufacturers to solar material and equipment suppliers. Attendee Chris Hrusovsky, global business manager, Photovoltaics of OMG Electronic Chemicals LLC, said, “I found the day-long training covering photovoltaic manufacturing, troubleshooting and photovoltaic standards and specifications was beneficial. Dr. Bordonaro and Zielnik did an outstanding job of providing both a hands-on and academic overview of their topics. I walked away with a more thorough understanding of these areas, and the information will benefit both my organization and myself.”
Wayne Chang, president, Pivotry Consulting Group Inc., added, “The one-day training course provided many insights and perspectives on PV panel manufacturing processes and current standards testing. Both instructors delivered very balanced and updated views of the PV industry, as well as future directions and emerging trends. As subject matter experts, they also shared practical knowledge about troubleshooting and testing for many of the top Pareto chart issues in manufacturing, certification and reliability. This technical course is well-matched for engineers, technical professionals and managers not only in panel manufacturing and standards testing, but also for materials suppliers and balance of systems suppliers.”
Dongkai Shangguan, vice president of technology at Flextronics International, said, “We were pleased to have the opportunity to host this training session to help disseminate knowledge on solar PV manufacturing, reliability and certification, and promote industry-wide collaboration in this important arena.” www.solar-ema.org
SEMA granted 501(c)(6) tax exempt status as a professional solar association
2011 May 20
The Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association (SEMA) has been granted 501(c)(6) tax exempt status as a professional association focused on the advancement of the solar engineering community.
Matthew Holzmann, president of SEMA, said, “This is just one more milestone in the process of developing a useful resource for the engineering and manufacturing community. Through training, continuing education, technical conferences and other resources, we can help ensure the future of the solar manufacturing industry.”
Jasbir Bath, vice president of SEMA, noted that the upcoming standards and best manufacturing practices seminars that are scheduled to take place Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at the Flextronics International campus in Milpitas, CA are a key step in delivering the highest quality in solar manufacturing and safety education. www.solar-ema.org
SEMA manufacturing technology, PV module trouble shooting and standards training course
2011 May 11
The Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association (SEMA) announces the agenda for the SEMA Training Course, scheduled to take place Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at the Wyndham Hotel in San Jose, CA. The training course will consist of two parts.
Part 1 will provide an outline of manufacturing technology and troubleshooting PV manufacturing, and will be instructed by Christine Bordonaro, product manager for Satcon Technology Corporation. The following topics will be discussed during Part 1:
- Types of photovoltaic modules
- Overview of manufacturing steps for crystalline silicon modules
- How PV modules work
- Potential module reliability problems in the field and associated root cause problems in module manufacturing
- Methods to ensure module reliability
Christine is experienced in all aspects of photovoltaic module development and engineering including product specifications; product design; UL, IEC and NEC standards; system design including mounting system and inverter recommendations; and system performance. She has a Master’s Degree and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University.
Part 2 will consist of a standards overview instructed by Allen Zielnik of Atlas. Zielnik will discuss the importance of standards in general as well as the organizations involved in developing PV standards with a focus on UL1703 and IEC 61215 standards. Part 2 of the session will discuss:
- PV performance
- PV reliability and durability
- PV safety
- Fire protection
- Electrical shock hazard
- PV qualification
Zielnik is the senior consultant in Weathering Science for the Solar Energy Competence Center at Atlas, and previously headed the Polymer Evaluations Products Division. Allen has more than 20 years of experience in weathering technology and technical standards development.
The cost for the training course is $450 for those who register before May 14, 2011 and $550 after, so register early for increased savings.
PV Module Manufacturing and Troubleshooting course scheduled for May 24th
2011 March 14
The Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association (SEMA) will be holding a training course on PV Manufacturing and Troubleshooting on Tuesday, May 24th at the Wyndham Hotel in San Jose, CA.
The course will provide an overview of the photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing process with a critical look into today’s manufacturing issues and how they can impact yield and long-term module reliability. The training course will address solutions to some of the more common and pressing problems that the industry faces. Information to be discussed in the training module includes:
- Types of PV modules and how they work with an overview of module manufacturing steps
- Potential module reliability problems in the field and associated root cause problems in module manufacturing
- Methods to ensure module reliability
The course instructor will be Christine Bordonaro, product manager for Satcon Technology Corp. Christine is experienced in all aspects of PV module development and engineering, including product specifications; product design; UL, IEC and NEC standards; system design, including mounting system and inverter recommendations; and system performance.
Prior to working at Satcon, Christine was director of applications engineering and product development engineering at Evergreen Solar. She has a Master’s Degree and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University.
For further information or to register for the course, visit www.solar-ema.org/2011-conference.html, or contact Matthew Holzmann at matt.holzmann@solar-ema.org or Jasbir Bath at jasbir.bath@solar-ema.org.
SEMA to Shed Light on China's Solar Industry at This Week's Meeting
2011 March 1
The recent SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference & Exhibition in Shanghai, which was attended by more than 100,000 participants, revealed that China’s photovoltaic industry can offer critical lessons for the North American and European photovoltaic industries. Matthew Holzman, President of the Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association (SEMA), will address the rapidly evolving China model and its ramifications at this week’s SEMA meeting.
The upcoming SEMA meeting will address the impact of China’s manufacturing model on the global solar manufacturing industry, and is scheduled to take place Thursday, March 3, 2011 at Flextronics International’s campus in Milpitas, Calif., located at 637 Gibraltar Court, Building 1, from 5-7 p.m.
Holzmann will present a technical assessment of the Chinese photovoltaic industry. The discussion and information presented will offer comparative data in order to help attendees to understand the key differentiators in capital cost models, technology, manufacturing efficiency and quality practices.
Space is limited, so please RSVP to Jasbir Bath as soon as possible (jasbir.bath@solar-ema.org). www.solar-ema.org
SEMA to discuss a comparison of China vs. western solar manufacturing practices and technology
2011 February 4
SEMA, the Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association, announces a meeting to be held on Thursday, March 3, 2011 in Milpitas, CA from 5–7 p.m. The meeting will address the impact of China’s manufacturing model on the global solar manufacturing industry.
Matthew Holzmann, President of SEMA, will present a technical assessment of the Chinese photovoltaic industry. The discussion and information presented will offer comparative data in order to help attendees understand the key differentiators in capital cost models, technology, manufacturing efficiency and quality practices.
The meeting will take place at Flextronics International’s campus in Milpitas, CA, which is located at 637 Gibraltar Court, Building 1.