Pakistan Solar Quality Passport: Training of Master Trainers to Ensure Quality of Solar Installations Begins

Pakistan Solar Quality Passport: Training of Master Trainers begins in Islamabad today. Dr. Rana Abdul Jabbar Khan, CEO AEDB, inaugurated the training. In his address to the participants, Dr. Jabbar said that “Emerging technologies like solar PV need to be well understood for their performance and applications in a diverse region like Pakistan. While we import a lot of equipment, it is critical to have experts that can engage in techno-economical analysis, particularly to improve future yields and have a more significant impact on the environment. The training initiated today is creating a legacy for the capacity building of industry experts.”

This 5-day training is being led by Mr. Frank Neumann and Mr. Frank Robens from Renewables Academy (RENAC), Berlin, Germany with participation from NUST Islamabad, UET Lahore, NED University Karachi and Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE).

The purpose of this Training of Trainers programme is to prepare skilled Master Trainers who can contribute actively to building the capacity of local solar installers to ensure the quality of solar installations in Pakistan. Each participating organization has committed to arrange and execute at least three training for solar installers per year. This training will prepare solar installers to make certain that they are delivering quality installation and after installation services in addition to selecting quality solar PV products for installation. By encouraging installers to ensure the right design, good product selection, and proper installation, greater customer satisfaction can be achieved along with an improved image of the solar industry in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Solar Quality Passport is a private sector initiative led by the Solar Quality Foundation (SQF) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Alternative Energy Development Board, together with partners such as the German Solar Association and Stimulus, to develop a concept that will significantly improve quality in the Pakistani solar market.

The Pakistan Solar Quality Passport (SQP) ensures that the customer is provided with the required documentation after a PV system is installed. The SQP, however, does not replace manufacturer warranties and guarantees. By focusing on quality, the solar sector wants to improve the long term reliability of PV systems in Pakistan. It wants to prevent – among other things: low quality and unsafe installations work; misleading claims given to system owners regarding the performance of their Solar PV system and future electricity bills; false advertising regarding the size and suitability of the Solar PV system being installed and; the installation company not taking responsibility for the whole of the Solar PV system including fulfillment of component warranties and general workmanship.

All solar companies and installers who wish to sign up for the Solar Quality Passport scheme must undergo training provided by one of the certified Master Trainers and institutions participating in this training.