Fifteen representatives from tertiary learning institutions in South Africa attended the first workshop – Inform the Trainer – at the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (Saretec) last month.

These representatives will train solar photovoltaic (PV) technicians to install solar panels to industry-recognised guidelines and international best practice.

In line with the need for training and ensuring the safety of solar PV technicians, the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (Sapvia) will launch the latest solar industry safety and quality standard, the PV GreenCard, in May.

“Up until now, there has been no industrywide, standardised PV licensing system or registration process, so we developed the PV GreenCard as a means to promote quality and safe solar PV installations within the industry,” explains Sapvia CEO Mike Levington.

International solar PV experts have worked together with Sapvia for more than a year to develop the PV GreenCard training outline and material, which is in line with the national Solar PV Technician Qualification. Successful candidates will be issued with an occupational certificate as a solar PV service technician.

The project is the result of a partnership between Sapvia and the German Solar Association, with support from GreenCape, Saretec, DGS Berlin and the German International Cooperation.

“Once the national curriculum was approved and registered, Sapvia, with the support of the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority, developed a one-week training course tailored to PV installers . . . This workshop was the first step in introducing the qualification to the training institutions,” Levington notes.

Solar PV has become increasingly popular in the residential, commercial and industrial market segments over the last several years, yet the industry remains largely unregulated. The PV GreenCard has been developed to serve as a national standardised ‘as-built report’ that should be issued with every small-scale solar PV installation.

“At the moment, the residential, commercial and industrial sectors are growing at about 5 MW a month each, and this will rise significantly as soon as the new small-scale embedded generation regulations are finalised. As a result, we have shifted our focus more towards the development of the rooftop market over the past two years,” says Levington.

Once a PV GreenCard-certified installer completes a new rooftop system, customers will be issued with an electronic PV GreenCard document. This edocument will confirm that the installer has complied with all relevant standards of PV system design and installation. Accredited installers will also be added to a Sapvia-approved PV installer database.