Metrology for photovoltaics

Photovoltaics will be a mainstay of Germany's and the world's future energy supply. Currently, around 120 billion are invested in photovoltaic facilities worldwide every year, so every percent of measurement uncertainty in determining module output results in financial uncertainty of around 1.2 billion euros per year. However, financial uncertainties are an obstacle to investments, because due to the high competitive pressure in tenders for large solar parks, their profit margin is in the low single-digit percentage range. A traceability chain with the lowest possible measurement uncertainties therefore leads to less financial uncertainty in the construction of solar power plants. To metrologically safeguard this part of the energy turnaround and to support the German companies that continue to lead the world market in the areas of calibration services and PV measurement technology, PTB is therefore establishing a PV Metrology Competence Centre. It expands the field of solar cell calibration, which has been located at PTB since the 1980s and has been a world leader for years, by comprehensive calibration services for yield-relevant quantities of solar modules. In the future, the entire calibration chain from the solar cell via the solar module to the PV system is to be metrologically covered with an extension to solar parks.