The April 2011 issue of the Global Solar Technology magazine features an SGS article entitled “Third-Party Supervision of the Installation of Photovoltaic Solar Power Plants,” written by Inspection and Project Engineer of Photovoltaic at SGS Industrial Services, Ernst Bauer.
Global Solar Technology is a monthly magazine for the photovoltaic and solar manufacturing industry, offering solution-led technical articles and an exploration of the latest technology emerging in the sector.
The article explores some of the constraints and challenges that can be avoided by having professional installation supervision conducted by a reliable third-party company throughout the installation and commissioning of solar power plants.
Due to the coordination of the various installation functions and operations, as well as local regulations and guidelines, the planning and erection of field-based photovoltaic power plants is very complex. As any deviations or wrong decisions taken during the construction could result in significant losses of revenues, stemming from avoidable repairs and maintenance during the lifetime of the photovoltaic plant, professional Construction Supervision is indispensable for reducing these risks.
Independent Construction Supervision is a valuable aid in photovoltaic solar power plant assembly, due to the many companies involved, irrespective of power plant size. For the assembly of a solar power plant, owners and investors often prefer Construction Supervision and Quality Control to be undertaken by an independent surveillance company, in order to make the best use of resources. The advantages of hiring a quality control surveillance company, like SGS, arise from the experience of its skilled personnel and its economic independence from the stakeholders.
As the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company SGS is well positioned to cope with the demands of supervising complex technical projects worldwide. Having an international presence with more than 64,000 employees and over 1,250 laboratories in 140 countries, SGS is familiar with the local environment, circumstances, languages, laws and regulations.
About SGS Industrial Services
Industrial Services is one of the major business lines of the SGS Group, a global service provider for technical verification, inspection, testing and conformity assessment. SGS Industrial Services ensures that the customer’s installations, material, equipment, facilities and projects meet all quality and performance requirements, whether they are regulatory, voluntary or customer based. Industrial Services has decades’ worth of experience and some remarkable references in serving key industries, such as Construction, Industrial Manufacturing & Trade, the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industry, Power Generation and Transmission, Banks and Financial Institutions, as well as Renewable Energy.