Wuxi Suntech PV Modules - Technical Review · Wuxi Suntech PV Modules - Technical Review October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 1 Glossary Table 1: Abbreviations Abbreviation Meaning

Wuxi Suntech PV Modules - Technical Review

Desktop Review and Factory Audit

Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd.

October 2014 00583 - v2.0 Final


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final

Issue and Revision Record

Revision Date Originator Checker Approver Narrative

1.0 08/07/2014 JF/GS/RR CM/MG OS Draft

1.1 25/07/2014 JF/GS CM OS Draft – updated following

comments

2.0 17/10/2014 JF/GS AK BR Final

Disclaimer

This document has been prepared for the titled project or named part thereof and should not be

relied upon or used for any other project without an independent check being carried out as to its

suitability and prior written authority of OST Energy being obtained. OST Energy accepts no

responsibility or liability for the consequence of this document being used for a purpose other

than the purposes for which it was commissioned. Any person using or relying on the document

for such other purpose agrees, and will by such use or reliance be taken to confirm his agreement

to indemnify OST Energy for all loss or damage resulting therefrom. OST Energy accepts no

responsibility or liability for this document to any party other than the person by whom it was

commissioned.

To the extent that this report is based on information supplied by other parties, OST Energy

accepts no liability for any loss or damage suffered by the client, whether contractual or tortious,

stemming from any conclusions based on data supplied by parties other than OST Energy and

used by OST Energy in preparing this report.

Awards and Recognitions

ACQ Magazine

UK Technical Advisor of the Year

2013 & 2012

Finance Monthly Magazine

UK Renewables Advisory Firm of the Year

2010


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final

Contents

Glossary .............................................................................................................................................1

Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................................2

Overview of the company ..................................................................................................................2

Technical review of PV modules .......................................................................................................3

Independent module testing ..............................................................................................................3

Review of production machinery and key components.....................................................................4

Factory visit findings ..........................................................................................................................4

Acceptance in the marketplace .........................................................................................................6

Operational performance ...................................................................................................................6

R&D ...................................................................................................................................................6

Warranties .........................................................................................................................................6

Product Liability Insurance ................................................................................................................7

Environmental, Health and Safety Review ........................................................................................8

1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 10

2 Company Overview ................................................................................................................. 11

2.1 Shunfeng Photovoltaic International ............................................................................. 11

2.2 Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd ....................................................................................... 11

2.2.1 Manufacturing capabilities ................................................................................ 12

2.3 Quality management system ......................................................................................... 13

3 Technical Review of Suntech PV Modules ............................................................................. 15

3.1 Module technical characteristics ................................................................................... 15

3.2 Low irradiance performance .......................................................................................... 15

3.3 Module efficiency ........................................................................................................... 16

3.3.1 Manufacturer comparison ................................................................................. 17

3.3.2 OST comments ................................................................................................. 21

3.4 Fill Factor ....................................................................................................................... 21

3.4.1 Manufacturer comparison ................................................................................. 21

3.4.2 OST Comments ................................................................................................ 25

3.5 Conclusions on manufacturers comparison .................................................................. 25

3.6 Certifications .................................................................................................................. 25

3.7 Returns .......................................................................................................................... 26

4 Module Testing ........................................................................................................................ 29

4.1 The set of validation tests ............................................................................................. 29

4.1.1 Visual inspection ............................................................................................... 30

4.1.2 Maximum Power measurement ........................................................................ 30

4.1.3 Electroluminescence imaging ........................................................................... 31

4.1.4 Insulation test .................................................................................................... 31


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final

4.1.5 Performance at NOCT ...................................................................................... 31

4.1.6 Performance at low and intermediate irradiance .............................................. 32

4.1.7 Thermal imaging & ΔT ...................................................................................... 33

4.1.8 Hot spot endurance test .................................................................................... 33

4.1.9 Potential Induced Degradation test ................................................................... 33

4.1.10 Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 34

5 Review of Production Machines and Key Components ......................................................... 35

5.1 Suppliers of production machines ................................................................................. 35

5.2 Suppliers of materials and key components ................................................................. 44

6 Factory Visit Findings .............................................................................................................. 60

6.1 Receipt of material from supplier .................................................................................. 60

6.1.1 Polycrystalline cells characteristics ................................................................... 70

6.2 Components storage ..................................................................................................... 70

6.3 Module manufacturing process ..................................................................................... 72

6.3.1 Quality inspection during production ................................................................. 73

6.3.2 Traceability ........................................................................................................ 73

6.3.3 Material preparation .......................................................................................... 74

6.3.4 Back sheet and EVA preparation ...................................................................... 78

6.3.5 Cell tabbing/soldering and stringing .................................................................. 78

6.3.6 Soldering, EVA and back sheet lay-up ............................................................. 83

6.3.7 Lamination ......................................................................................................... 89

6.3.8 Framing and junction box assembly ................................................................. 92

6.3.9 Module cleaning and testing ............................................................................. 94

6.3.10 Final inspection ................................................................................................. 97

6.3.11 Packaging.......................................................................................................... 99

6.4 Test facilities at Suntech ............................................................................................. 101

6.5 Training ........................................................................................................................ 101

7 Acceptance in the Marketplace ............................................................................................. 103

7.1 Project experience ....................................................................................................... 103

7.2 Bankability ................................................................................................................... 104

7.3 Contractors and Developers ....................................................................................... 105

8 Operational Performance ...................................................................................................... 107

9 R&D ....................................................................................................................................... 108

10 Warranties and Guarantees .................................................................................................. 109

10.1 Limited warranty for PV modules ................................................................................ 109

10.1.1 Limited product warranty ................................................................................. 109

10.1.2 Limited peak power warranty .......................................................................... 109

10.1.3 Warranty exclusions and limitations ............................................................... 110

10.1.4 Claims ............................................................................................................. 110

10.1.5 Various ............................................................................................................ 111

10.2 Warranties and guarantees comparison ..................................................................... 111

10.3 Third party insurance................................................................................................... 113

10.4 Product Liability Insurance .......................................................................................... 113

10.4.1 Chubb Insurance (China) Company Limited .................................................. 113


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10.4.2 Yingda Taihe Property Insurance ................................................................... 114

11 Environmental, Health and Safety Review ........................................................................... 115

11.1 International Lender EHS Guidelines .......................................................................... 115

11.1.1 IFC/World Bank ............................................................................................... 116

11.1.2 Equator Principles ........................................................................................... 117

11.1.3 EBRD E&S Standards and Guidelines ........................................................... 118

11.2 Suntech’s EHS Management ...................................................................................... 118

11.2.1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts119

11.2.2 Labour and Working Conditions ..................................................................... 119

11.2.3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention ................................................ 120

11.2.4 Community Health, Safety, and Security ........................................................ 121

11.2.5 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources ....................................................................................................... 121

11.3 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 121


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 1

Glossary

Table 1: Abbreviations

Abbreviation Meaning

AC Alternating Current

pc-Si Poly-crystalline Silicon

CPVT National Center of Supervision & Inspection on Solar Photovoltaic Products

Quality

DC Direct Current

DUT Device under test

EL Electro Luminescence

EU European Union

EVA Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate

FF Fill Factor

FPC Factory Production Certificates

IEC International Electrotechnical Commission

ISO International Organization for Standardization

IV (I) Current (V) Voltage

JB Junction Box

Kpcs 1000 pieces

LID Light Induced Degradation

MCS Microgeneration Certification Scheme

NOCT Nominal Operating Cell Temperature

OHSAS Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series

pcs Process Control System

PID Potential Induced Degradation

PR Performance Ratio

PV Photo-Voltaic

R&D Research and Development

STC Standard Test Conditions

VDE Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker


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Executive Summary

OST Energy has been appointed by Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. (‘Suntech’ or ‘the

Manufacturer’) to undertake an independent technical review of three models of its poly-

crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules.

This review has been undertaken based on information provided via email, discussions with

Suntech staff, independent testing, industry knowledge, a factory visit and information available in

the public domain. While every effort has been made to verify source information, OST takes no

responsibility for the completeness or otherwise of the information provided for the purpose of the

review.

Overview of the company

Wuxi Suntech Power Co. Ltd. specialises in the production and sale of mono-crystalline and

polycrystalline silicon PV modules. Suntech was founded in 2001 as a subsidiary of Suntech

Power Holding. Co., Ltd.

Suntech, as a subsidiary of Suntech Power was a leading supplier of solar modules in 2011 and

has supplied more than 8 GW of modules to more than a thousand customers in more than 80

countries. Suntech also manufactures solar cells at Wuxi, with a production capacity of 2.1GW.

The modules under review and all other modules produced at Wuxi are produced under the Wuxi

Suntech brand.

On the 7th of April 2014, Suntech, the main PV module manufacturing facility of Suntech Power

Holding became a full subsidiary of Shunfeng Photovoltaic International. Shunfeng Photovoltaic

International focuses on the research and development, manufacturing and sales of wafers, solar

cells and solar modules. The Shunfeng Group is the largest independent private solar provider of

solar energy in China and has reportedly delivered 890 MW in 2013.

With the recent acquisition of Suntech by Shunfeng Group, the Group plans to quadruple the

generation capacity at Wuxi.

Wuxi Suntech Co. Ltd is based in Wuxi, Jiangsu in China. The Manufacturer employs

approximately 4,700 people worldwide, involved in the production of mono-crystalline and

polycrystalline PV cells and modules, sales and distribution. The current peak production capacity

in Chinese sites is 2.5 GW per year.

Suntech is a member of the PV CYCLE association for the European Market and we have

sighted the certification. Suntech also holds the following international certifications issued by

SGS S.A.

ISO 9001:2008 - Quality Management Systems (expires on 16th August 2015)

ISO 14001:2004 - Environmental Management Systems (expires on 5th August 2015)

OHSAS 18001 - Health and Safety Management Systems (expires on 1st September 2016)

SA 8000:2008 - Social Accountability International (SAI) (expires on 10th September 2016)


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Technical review of PV modules

This report has focused on three polycrystalline silicon module models manufactured by Suntech

at the Wuxi manufacturing facility:

STP250-20/Wd

STP255-20/Wd

STP300-24/Ve

Suntech modules hold a range of certifications which we consider to be in-line with market

standards and appropriate for use in the EU and UK.

According to the results of the independent low irradiance performance test performed by IPSol

on the STP255-20/Wd modules, the profiles of the low irradiance curves of the modules tested by

IPSol are in line with our expectations. The Manufacturer has provided low irradiance data on

samples of the two other modules under review which indicate low irradiance relative efficiency to

be in line with our expectations.

The module efficiencies and fill factors at STC and NOCT have been compared to a range of

other poly-crystalline modules with the same nominal power sold in the PV market and produced

by top-tier and reputable manufacturers. We note that all Suntech modules reviewed show STC

efficiencies slightly above average. The modules also showed above average NOCT efficiencies

by market standards.

The Suntech modules under review all have fill factors above industry standards for

polycrystalline modules at both STC and NOCT, while the fill factors of the STP2555-20/Wd

module ranked above average market offering. Suntech modules all have fill factors greater than

0.7 which indicates that the cells utilised by Suntech are of satisfactory quality

The positive power tolerance of 0/+5% of the modules results in effective tolerance values of up

to 12.5W, 12.75W and 15W for the three modules under review which we consider to be above

market standards.

Independent module testing

As part of our review, a set of validation tests were carried out on a set of 11 modules (model

STP255-20/Wd), selected by OST Energy, at IPSol Energy laboratories in Nottingham. The tests

and measurements made by IPSol were intended to probe the reliability and manufacturing

quality of the modules and also to assess their performance. The set of validation tests occurred

during May/June 2014 and the following tests were undertaken to assess the modules’ quality

and reliability:

Visual inspection

Maximum power measurement

Electroluminescence testing

Insulation testing

Performance at NOCT

Performance at low and intermediate Irradiances

Thermal Imaging/∆T

Hot-spot endurance test

Potential induced degradation test


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All modules tested were generally of a high quality, with power outputs across a range of

conditions meeting or exceeding the manufacturer’s quoted values. There was a narrow spread

in the results for the five modules that underwent performance testing suggesting a consistent

quality of module across the sample. Resistance to hotspot stressing was excellent, and though

PID stressing caused a small drop in power output, the results remained comfortably within the

IPSol ‘A’ classification for PID resistance.

The EL and thermal imaging showed the cells of the modules to be well matched and of a

satisfactory quality.

While the test results are promising we do not consider it possible to draw any profound

conclusions regarding the population the samples were taken from.

Review of production machinery and key components

Module production is undertaken at the Wuxi Suntech facilities with machines from a number of

suppliers. We note that limited information was available for some of the manufacturers. We

recommend that further information is provided on the unknown manufacturers.

Materials and key components are sourced from suppliers majorly from Asia and from various

countries worldwide.

OST notes that all the modules reviewed have common suppliers and production machines. All of

the key components are certificated by VDE Prüf- und Zertifizierungsinstitut. Any additional

components used or intended to be used in the manufacturing of the Suntech modules should be

added to the CDF outlined in the VDE Prüf- und Zertifizierungsinstitut list.

Poly-crystalline cells are provided internally by Suntech and by other suppliers. The cells provided

by Suntech, are listed in the VDE certificate. Separate certification for component suppliers have

been listed in ‘The Review of Production Machinery and Key Components’.

Factory visit findings

The module production facilities in Wuxi were visited on the 12th June 2014 by Martin Cincelli and

Gustaf Schuler of OST Energy and Tim Carter of IPSol Energy. We can confirm that the facility

was in line with expectations of a satisfactory market standard.

The factory consists of five separate buildings, two containing the production lines, two

warehouses and one office building. Protective equipment is worn by all staff throughout the

factory, including Suntech uniform consisting of trousers, shirt and hat, gloves and shoes.

Visitors are given hair and shoe protectors before entering the workshops which is in line with

good practice.

Incoming checks are undertaken on receipt of the materials from the suppliers. Components

which pass the incoming checks are labelled with a green barcode (PV cells) or a stamp (all other

components) and the serial number is recorded in the SAP warehouse management system.

The system allows for traceability of the components in the storage warehouses before entering

the production lines where a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is used. We consider the

implementation of the MES and SAP systems used at Suntech to offer a reliable method for

traceability of the components and products.


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The temperature and relative humidity in the warehouse where the EVA and back sheet

components are stored and prepared for production are controlled according to the specifications

of the manufacturers; however, more frequent controls and an automatic alarm if the parameters

exceed the limits would be desirable.

The production at the factory is fully automated with several production lines consisting of 48

tabbing and stringing machines, 92 laminators, 53 framing machines and several EL and flash

testing machines.

We have been provided with the quality control plan for each of the processes and we consider

the quality control to be in line with our expectations with minor comments included in the body of

our report.

Visual checks are undertaken on 100% of the cells after tabbing and stringing on the lay-up

station before lamination; in addition a visual inspection is carried out immediately before the

modules undergo EL testing and prior to packaging. We note that no visual checks are performed

on the front of the module prior to lamination. We consider visual checks on the module from both

sides as market standard and recommend to extend the range of visual checks at this stage.

According to Suntech, certain tests such as a pull test between EVA and the glass, the silicone

filling of the junction box for the adhesion between junction box and back sheet and appearance

test are performed regularly; however, are not included in the Lamination - Quality Control Plan.

We consider the tests performed at this stage as stated by Suntech as satisfactory; however, we

note that these tests and their quality criteria should be added to the QCP.

Electroluminescence (EL) testing is undertaken on most of the modules, prior to lamination and

on all modules post-lamination. Suntech confirmed that from July 2014 all modules are EL tested

prior to lamination. We have been provided with the pass / fail criteria for the EL testing which we

consider to be in line with our usual market expectations. We have been advised by Suntech

staff that all personnel in charge of EL testing are trained by a trainer at the machine and

subsequently undergo an examination before being capable of operating independently. In order

to maintain the required level of competency, an annual retraining program, incorporating an

examination of knowledge and skills is to be carried out, which we consider good practice.

Each module undergoes a final inspection following testing. The list of checks is comprehensive;

and during our visit we did not witness any modules being rejected during these final visual

checks. We note that during our visit the average final inspection time per module was between 5

and 10s and we do not consider that all quality controls can be achieved in this time.

The QCP requirements for packaging could be better defined in the QCP as we consider the level

of detail of the information provided will not inform the operator on the level of accuracy required.

However, Suntech stated that a detailed inspection document is issued in their IBMS for

packaging which includes the inspection items, inspection frequency, inspection tool, and

judgment criteria. Additionally all responsible staff is trained on the job and informed about the

quality requirements of packaging. OST has not been provided with this document for review and

as such we cannot comment on the suitability of the inspection terms.

A test facility exists at the Suntech production facility in Wuxi to undertake tests equivalent to

IEC61215 and IEC61730 standards. We note that not all manufacturers can offer this thorough

in-house testing and thus this is a positive indication of their QA processes.


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Acceptance in the marketplace

We have been provided with a list of projects utilising Suntech modules in Europe, USA and other

countries. We consider that the list of projects is indicative of acceptance within the European

and global marketplace; however, we note that the list does not contain projects executed in the

UK.

Suntech has also provided a list of banks and financial institutions involved in the financing of

projects utilising Suntech modules and EPC contractors that have used Suntech modules. We

consider the list of EPCs indicative of a good level of general acceptance; however, the list of

banks/financial institutions is indicative of bankability only in a few European countries.

Operational performance

OST has not been provided with operational data to enable a detailed analysis of the

performance of the reviewed Suntech modules; Suntech provided a summarized operational data

and final performance ratio of a plant where Suntech STP250-20/Wd modules similar to the

models under review, are installed.

The PR data suggests acceptable performance for this specific plant that uses Suntech modules,

but we note that the performance data of the plant is a result of the performance of different

systems. Although modules largely contribute to the final performance, in the absence of DC

tests, and more detailed operational data, we can only acknowledge that the plant has been

operating above expectations.

R&D

Suntech has provided a spread sheet outlining their recent research projects between 2011 and

2013. No specific documentation on the R&D activities of Suntech has been provided, however

we understand that Suntech is engaged with a leading institution for silicon solar research in New

South Wales, in Australia. Suntech and the University of New South Wales jointly-developed

PERL cell technology, which set the 2009 world record for solar conversion efficiency. The PERL

cell technology is now employed on all Suntech Pluto cells and Hi-Performa modules.

Warranties

Suntech Power has provided two warranty documents; one that applies globally and a second

that applies only inside the European Economic Area and Switzerland. OST has reviewed the

warranty documentation which applies in Europe, entitled ‘2014 Suntech standard warranty -

Europe’.

The Manufacturer provides two types of warranties to its customers:

10 year limited product warranty

25 year limited peak power warranty

Suntech warrants, as a voluntary, independent performance warranty, that each PV module will

exhibit a power output of no less than:

97% of nominal power (i.e. minimum permissible power output for the commencing year)

in the first twelve months after shipment


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0.70%*nominal power lower than the minimum permissible power output for the previous

calendar year for each twelve subsequent month period. So by the end of 25 years, at

least 80.2% of nominal power can be achieved.

The Warranty Start Date is the day of sales or 12 months after modules dispatch from the

Suntech factory, whichever occurs earlier.

If a module is found defective in material or workmanship, Suntech will, at its sole discretion,

repair or replace the module by a functional module of the same type.

Suntech’s warranty terms do not apply to PV modules marked as “Grade A” or “Grade B” on the

nameplate; for these kind of modules special warranties apply which have not been reviewed in

the scope of this report. The warranty terms apply only to the end customer.

Warranty provisions, exclusions and limitations are generally in line with our expectations.

Should a dispute arise over a warranty claim, an independent testing body such as Fraunhofer

ISE, TUV Rheinland or Verbands der Elektrotechnik (VDE) shall be involved to judge the claim

finally. All fees and expenses associated with the test shall be borne by Suntech, we consider

Suntech carrying these costs in the event of a warranty claim places it at the higher end of current

market practice.

If the output power of the module is below the adjusted nominal power due to defects in material,

Suntech will either repair or replace the module by a functional module of the same type. If

Suntech no longer manufactures the respective module type, Suntech will either supply a

functionally equivalent module of the same or higher power of a different type. Suntech will also

compensate the proven lost profits of the defective module from the day of acknowledgement

against Suntech.

OST considers Suntech’s provision to compensate for lost profit of the defective module to be

above common marketplace practice. We also consider the positive nameplate capacity tolerance

at the upper end of market standards, while the standard product warranty and the linear peak

performance warranty are in line with current market standards.

We recommend an independent legal review of the warranty terms necessary to provide an

opinion on suitability.

Product Liability Insurance

Suntech has provided two Product Liability Insurance policies, stipulated with Yingda Taihe

Property Insurance and Chubb Insurance (China) Company Limited. OST has not reviewed the

Yingda Taihe Property Insurance product liability insurance as it is not applicable to Europe or the

UK.

OST has reviewed the Product Liability Insurance policy taken out with Chubb Insurance (China)

Company Limited, effective from 10th March 2014 and valid until 10th March 2015. The general

liability insurance policy covers bodily injury on persons and property damage arising out of the

solar modules sold worldwide. Damages will be paid by insurance in case the Manufacturer is

legally obliged to pay.

The insurance policy has an aggregate premium limit of USD 10,000,000, which is progressively

reduced once a claim is paid, and a limit of USD 10,000,000 for each claim occurrence.


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Although the documentation on liability insurance was provided specifically for PV cells, modules

and PV systems, which were all referred to as the ‘Product’, the wording of the document is not

clear about the underperformance of the ‘Product. In particular, the policy excludes ‘Damage To

Your Product’, where ‘Your Product’ is defined to mean goods or products manufactured by

Suntech. ‘Your Product’ also includes representations or warranties made at any time with

respect to the durability, fitness, performance, quality or use of ‘Your Product’. The policy defines

terms of coverage and exclusions only in a general way and not specifically related with the

Product’s application (e.g.: installation of modules on PV plants, roof-top or ground mounted,

etc.).

We recommend that the terms of the Product Liability Insurance policies are reviewed by an

insurance advisor to confirm that the arrangements are appropriate.

Environmental, Health and Safety Review

We have reviewed information provided by Suntech on their Environmental, Health and Safety

(EHS) management system, and associated documentation, against relevant international lender

Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) guidelines, namely International Finance Corporation

(IFC), World Bank, and the Equator Principles.

We have undertaken our review principally against the following relevant IFC Performance

Standards categories:

Performance Standard 1: Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social

Risks and Impacts

Performance Standard 2: Labour and Working Conditions

Performance Standard 3: Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention

Performance Standard 4: Community Health, Safety, and Security

Performance Standard 6: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of

Living Natural Resources

Our findings and conclusions are based on a review of the environmental, health and safety

information and data provided by Suntech.

Suntech has implemented a formal Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Management system.

The environmental component of which is based on the ISO 14001 – Environmental

Management System (EMS) standard. The Wuxi City manufacturing facility has been certified as

compliant with ISO 14001 by SGS System Certification on 28/08/2013 (certificate valid until

5/08/2015). The health and safety elements have also been certified as compliant with ISO

18001 by SGS System Certification on 03/09/2013 (certificate valid until 01/09/2016).

The implementation of an ISO 14001 certified EMS demonstrates adequate management of

environmental risks and meets the IFC Performance Standard 1. The implementation of ISO

18001 H&S Management System demonstrates adequate management of health and safety risks

and meets the IFC Performance Standard 2.

We have received the latest test results for air emissions, wastewater discharges, and waste gas

for the Wuxi facility, however these documents were provided in Chinese, therefore OST has

been unable to fully review these in detail. OST has, however, been informed that all reports

state that the factory meets all government requirements and therefore are in line the IFC

Standards with regards to air emissions, wastewater discharges and waste gas levels. OST has


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 9

also been informed that there have been no fines or notifications raised against Suntech’s Wuxi

facility from the Government or Local Authority.

Suntech has provided a Certificate of Compliance from Wuxi Environmental Protection Authority

however the document is in Chinese and cannot be fully reviewed, however we have been

informed that it confirms that they comply with environmental laws and legislation. OST requests

that a formal translation of this certificate into English is provided.

Overall we consider that Suntech meets the requirements set out in IFC Performance Standard 3

(Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention) with respect to supply chain. Although not

required for primary supply chains, it should be noted that IFC Performance Standard 3

(Resource Efficiency and Pollution prevention), also includes requirements for the implementation

of cost effective measures for improving efficiency in its consumption of resources and material

inputs. OST has not received any specific information regarding what efficiency and resource

measures have been put in place, or what quantifiable impacts this has had.

We consider that Suntech meets the requirements set out in IFC Performance Standard 4

(Community Health, Safety, and Security), as relevant for a primary supply chain.

However, Suntech has not provided information demonstrating their support and involvement in

community based (CSR) projects through the provision of ‘sustained community development

and employee initiatives.’ OST recommends that the Wuxi facilities investigate how they can

further involve the local community with specific regard to the promotion and use of Solar PV,

community development and education. We advise demonstrating this standard via the

implementation of a formal CSR policy, which will measure quantifiable benefits to the local

community.

We consider that Suntech meets the requirement set out in IFC Performance Standard 6

(Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources) with

respect to supply chain.

Following our review of information provided to OST Energy we consider that the Suntech

production facilities are, in general, in-line with international lender requirements for a primary

supply chain, based on IFC and World Bank standards.

We recommend that Suntech provides English versions of all relevant documentation in order for

a full review to be carried out. We also recommend that information and company policy

regarding continuing efficiency measures and pollution prevention is provided.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 10

1 Introduction

OST Energy has been appointed by Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd (‘Suntech’ or ‘the

Manufacturer’) to undertake an independent review of three models of Suntech poly-crystalline

silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules. The purpose of the review will be to confirm the technical

suitability of the modules for use in photovoltaic projects in the UK.

The following sections present a technical review of the three models of poly-crystalline modules

rated 250Wp, 255Wp and 300Wp.

This review has been undertaken based on information provided via email, discussions with

Suntech staff, independent testing, industry knowledge, a factory visit and information available in

the public domain. While every effort has been made to verify source information, OST takes no

responsibility for the completeness or otherwise of the information provided for the purpose of the

review. We have only reviewed modules produced at the Wuxi facility located at 16 Xinhua Road,

New District Wuxi, Jiangsu Province in China.

Our review has been undertaken in three phases as below and this report covers the scope of

phases 1, 2 and 3:

Phase 1 – Desktop Review

– Overview of the company

– References

– Technical review of PV modules

– Module performance

– Manufacturing faults

– Acceptance in market place

– Degradation warranty

– Product guarantee

– Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) review

Phase 2 – Module testing

– Maximum power measurement, Pmax

– Visual inspection

– Insulation test

– Electroluminescence test

– Additional tests

Phase 3 – Review of PV module production process

– Factory quality

– Manufacturing

– Cell supply

– Module testing equipment

– Health and safety

– Other

Our opinions on the PV modules are contained throughout the report and issues of most

significance are discussed in the Executive Summary.


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2 Company Overview

2.1 Shunfeng Photovoltaic International

Suntech was acquired by Shunfeng Photovoltaic International (Shunfeng) at the beginning of

2014 following the insolvency of Suntech’s parent company Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd.

Shunfeng, headquartered in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, China, focuses on the research,

development, manufacturing and sales of silicon ingots, wafers solar cells and solar modules.

The acquisition of Suntech has resulted in a significant increase in Shunfeng’s PV cell production

capacity from 650 MW to 2,250 MW per year and is seen as an indication of the company’s

desire to increase its upstream capabilities in the solar supply chain.

Although not well established in Europe, Shunfeng is also a leading solar power plant operator in

China, having developed 890 MWp of PV Plants in 2013. Shunfeng posted total revenues of USD

244 million in 2013 with a total number of 2,118 employees.

2.2 Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd

As a subsidiary of Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. Suntech was founded in 2001 as the main

research and development and manufacturing subsidiary of the Suntech group. Based in Wuxi,

Jiangsu province, China, at its peak in 2012 Suntech was the largest PV module manufacturer in

the world with an annual production capacity of 2.5 GW and employed over 17,000 people

worldwide.

The Manufacturer currently employs approximately 4,700 people worldwide involved in the

production of mono-crystalline and poly-crystalline PV cells and modules, sale and distribution.

The principal activities of Suntech and its subsidiaries include:

Manufacturing of solar cells

Construction of PV systems

Manufacturing and trading of wafers

Research and development of solar cells and modules

Trading of PV systems

Power generation and plant operation

Trading machinery

Following the insolvency of Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd in early 2013 and the subsequent

acquisition of Suntech by Shunfeng Group, the Manufacturer has undergone restructuring. The

existing subsidiaries of Wuxi Suntech are illustrated in Figure 1 below.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 12

Figure 1: Wuxi Suntech subsidiaries

The existing principal businesses of Suntech include solar power generation and solar cell

manufacturing. The current levels of R&D activities at the different subsidiaries have not been

confirmed by Suntech.

2.2.1 Manufacturing capabilities

Suntech is based in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, where the modules reviewed are manufactured. As a

manufacturer of mono and poly-crystalline PV modules, Suntech is partially vertical integrated,

because it does not process silicon ingots directly but produces modules from silicon wafer.

The Suntech PV module and cell manufacturing facilities consist of the following:

Table 2: Suntech manufacturing sites

Facility

Location

(City)

Total

Capacity (MW)

Capacity for Wuxi

Suntech (MW)

Cell production


Co.,Ltd.

Wuxi 2,100 2,100

Module production


(headquarter)

Wuxi 2,300 2,300

Suntech Power Japan

Corporation Nagano Plant

Saku-Shi 6 6

Zhengjiang Fengyuan New

Energy Technoloy Co.,Ltd.

Jiangsu 480 150

SolarPark Korea Co., Ltd. Wanju-Gun 600 300

Wuxi Erquan Solar Energy

Science & Technology Co.,

Ltd.

Wuxi 240 120

Total capacity 3,626 2,876


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 13

The Manufacturer’s other facilities in Japan and China are not reviewed in this report. We

understand that some of the other facilities manufacture OEM modules. All the above facilities are

included in the IEC certification provided by Suntech. .

2.3 Quality management system

Wuxi Suntech Power Co. Ltd holds the following international certifications issued by SGS S.A

(PTY) Ltd:

ISO 9001:2008 - Quality Management Systems (expires on 16th August 2015)

ISO 14001:2004 - Environmental Management Systems (expires on 5th August 2015)

OHSAS 18001 - Health and Safety Management Systems (expires on 1st September 2016)

SA 8000:2008 - Social Accountability International (SAI) (expires on 10th September 2016)

Suntech also holds a Japan Electrical Safety & Environment Technologies Laboratory (JET) PVm

certification of conformity to performance and safety tests, based on the relevant international

standards (IEC61215 & IEC61730) (expires on 6th December 2017 for the STP XXX-24/Ve

modules and on the 7th July 2016 for the STP XXX-20/Wd).

The above are internationally recognised certifications, which we would expect a major PV

module manufacturer to hold. The objectives of the Quality Management System are:

To maintain an effective Quality Assurance System which complies with BS EN ISO 9001:

2008

To ensure compliance with individual contract specifications and relevant statutory and

safety requirements

To minimise losses during manufacture of materials and finished product

To achieve a level of quality of products and services which enhances the company’s

reputation with its customers and where possible to maximise customer satisfaction

Suntech has provided OST with its Quality Control Plan (file name: ‘PV Module Control Plan’).

The document describes the Quality Management approach (specification, inspection method,

frequency of inspection, standard) for processes from delivery of material and components to the

packing of the finished modules.

In addition, Suntech has provided an incoming quality control (file name: ‘IQC Suntech’) program

and a process inspection control program (additional details are outlined in Section 6). Non-

conforming components and materials are manually segregated and repaired. Repaired items are

again subjected to appropriate inspection. We note that records of incoming inspections are

maintained for two inspection visits. Furthermore, a supplier audit is conducted to evaluate the

supplier’s ability of production process and quality control as well as EHS and Corporate Social

Responsibility. Existing local suppliers are audited once a year and qualified strategic suppliers

are audited quarterly.

According to Suntech’s quality documentation, suppliers of components are evaluated according

to the procedure described in the document “STP-P-10 Control Procedure of Strategic Material

Procurement Process”. This document provides standard checks for suppliers’ products to

guarantee the product quality of purchased materials.

Moreover, Suntech has provided the following documents:

OQC work instruction

Supplier assessment report


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 14

Supplier audit

Management policy

Control procedure of strategic material procurement process

Test equipment list

A factory inspection report by VDE

Training plan and procedure

A competence, training and awareness program control is also present but OST has only been

provided with a document in Chinese. The purpose of the competence, training and awareness

program control is to establish an effective control of the training budget management and

training system planning, monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of training and other

related activities to ensure the effectiveness of the training and to regulate the internal training

guide. Only a brief overview of the training procedure has been provided by Suntech for review

and has been included in Section 6.5. The provided training plan includes the following:

Training requirements (for each position)

Training plan (yearly training and monthly training)

Several types of trainings (New employee and new assignment, on job training,

improvement training and special job training)

Evaluation criteria (only trainees with passing grades are allowed to move to next level

training)

Based on the quality documentation and sighted SGS certifications in place, we consider

Suntech’s quality management system to be in line with our expectations and industry standards.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 15

3 Technical Review of Suntech PV Modules

This section outlines the technical characteristics and the certifications of the Suntech PV

modules reviewed in this report; the polycrystalline STP250-20/Wd, STP255-20/Wd and STP300-

24/Ve models.

3.1 Module technical characteristics

The following table shows the technical characteristics of the modules at Standard Test

Conditions (STC) of 1000W/m2, module temperature 25°C, Air Mass (AM) 1.5 as outlined on the

manufacturer’s module datasheets provided for review.

Table 3: Technical characteristics of Suntech modules reviewed (at STC)

Parameter

Unit STP250-

20/Wd

STP255-

20/Wd

STP300-

24/Ve

Nominal power Wp 250 255 300

Tolerance % 0 / +5

Voltage at Pmax - (Vmpp) V 30.7 30.8 35.9

Current at Pmax - (Impp) A 8.15 8.28 8.36

Open Circuit Voltage (Voc) V 37.4 37.6 44.5

Short circuit current (Isc) A 8.63 8.76 8.83

Module efficiency % 15.4 15.7 15.5

Maximum System Voltage (IEC) V 1000 DC

By-pass diodes 3

Temperature coefficient of Pmax % / °C -0.43

Temperature coefficient of Voc % / °C -0.33

Temperature coefficient of Isc % / °C +0.067

Max series fuse rating A 20

Normal Operating Cell

Temperature (NOCT) °C 45±2

The characteristics of the Suntech modules above are in line with our expectations and industry

standards for crystalline modules.

The actual power of the modules should be confirmed by the flash tests of all the modules

provided by the manufacturer on delivery.

The positive power tolerance of the modules results in effective tolerance values of 12.5W,

12.75W and 15W for the three modules which we think is above market standards.

3.2 Low irradiance performance

The performance of a PV module varies as soon as the module is exposed to a reduced

irradiance from the STC irradiance of 1,000 W/m2. The Manufacturer has provided low irradiance

tests which were performed externally by National Center of Supervision & Inspection on Solar


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 16

90%

92%

94%

96%

98%

100%

102%

104%

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

Perf

orm

ance (%

)

W/m2

STP250-20/Wd STP300-24/Ve

STP255-20/Wd (IPSOL) Typical Shape

Photovoltaic Products Quality (CPVT). The low irradiance tests were performed on samples of

STP255-20/Wd and STP300-24/Ve at irradiance levels of 1,000, 800 and 200 W/m2. OST would

also expect the Manufacturer to provide low irradiance tests performed at 400 and 600 W/m2 to

allow an analysis of the performance at intermediate levels of irradiance. We note that both

modules were also tested at NOCT of 800 W/m2 and temperature of 43.30C for STP255-20/Wd

and 44.70C for the STP300-24/Ve.

The NOCT performance data was corrected to 250C with a correction factor provided by CPVT.

Low irradiance test results from the independent tests carried out by IPSol on the STP255-20/Wd

modules as well as the independent measurement results on the STP250-20/Wd and STP300-

24/Ve provided by Suntech are included in the following figure.

Figure 2: Low irradiance performance for the modules reviewed

Considering the figure above, the results from the tests show that the low irradiance performance

and curved shape are in line with our expectations, excluding the 94.4% performance at 200

W/m2 for the STP300-24/Ve module. We would expect the performance at 200 W/m2 to be at

least 95% of the performance at 1,000W/m2. We would typically expect to see a curvilinear

shape, with a slight increase in efficiency at lower than 1,000 W/m2 up to 400 W/m2 and a more

accentuated drop at irradiances lower than 400 W/m2 for crystalline technology modules (as the

red expected curve in the Figure above).

Although STP300-24/Ve module exhibits a drop in relative efficiency at 200W/m2 of more than

5%, in general, the low irradiance performance of the STP300-24/Ve, STP250-20/Wd and

STP255-20/Wd modules are in line with our expectations.

3.3 Module efficiency

The cell efficiency is the ratio of the total energy of the absorbed light versus the electrical energy

output. Depending on the photovoltaic material used panels produce electricity from a range of


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 17

frequencies of light, but cannot cover the entire solar spectrum. Typical commercial pc-Si cells

have an efficiency that ranges between 16 and 20% which is considered industry standard. The

efficiency of photovoltaic materials is limited by losses associated with thermodynamic, electrical

and quantum principles, hence much of the incident sunlight energy that reaches a photovoltaic

cell is not converted into DC electricity.

The module efficiency measures this conversion rate over the whole module area, taking into

account inactive surfaces such as gaps between cells and the contacts. Typical commercially

available pc-Si modules consist of 48, 60 or 72 125 mm x 125 mm, or 156 mm x 156 mm

photovoltaic cells connected in series. Module manufacturers are able to provide a variety of

module power classes by sorting their cells by efficiency; for example a manufacturer’s highest

efficiency cells are grouped together to produce its highest rated power module.

The range of efficiency of the Suntech modules reviewed is in line with our expectations and the

industry standard.

3.3.1 Manufacturer comparison

The following section compares the module efficiency of the Suntech modules reviewed to a

range of other polycrystalline modules with the same nominal power sold in the PV market and

produced by top-tier and reputable manufacturers.

Names of other modules and manufacturers used in the comparison have been omitted.

Modules have been referred to using the initial “Mx”, where the “x” is a casual number

correspondent to a manufacturer.

The STC and NOCT efficiencies are derived directly from the datasheets provided by Suntech

and other manufacturers and available in the public domain.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 18

3.3.1.1 STP250-20/Wd – 250Wp

Table 4: Efficiency comparison (Suntech STP250-20/Wd)

Manufacturer Power (STC) [ W ] Efficiency (STC) [%] Efficiency (NOCT) [%]

M1 250 15.22% 14.27%

M2 250 15.54% 14.07%

M3 250 15.30% 13.96%

M4 250 14.97% 13.92%

M5 250 15.32% 13.86%

M6 250 14.91% 13.78%

M7 250 15.27% 13.82%

Suntech 250 15.40% 14.21%

Figure 3: STP250-20/Wd efficiency comparison at STC Figure 4: STP250-20/Wd efficiency comparison at NOCT


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 19

3.3.1.2 STP255-20/Wd – 255Wp

Table 5: Efficiency comparison (Suntech STP255-20/Wd)


M1 255 15.58% 14.05%

M2 255 15.45% 14.62%

M3 255 15.71% 14.47%

M4 255 15.78% 14.38%

M5 255 15.59% 14.03%

M6 255 15.67% 14.52%

M7 255 15.61% 14.23%

Suntech 255 15.70% 14,45%

Figure 5: STP255-20/Wd efficiency comparison at STC Figure 6: STP255-20/Wd efficiency comparison at NOCT


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 20

3.3.1.3 STP300-24/Ve – 300Wp

Table 6: Efficiency comparison (Suntech STP300-24/Ve)


M1 300 15.63% 14.20%

M2 300 15.41% 14.00%

M3 300 13.56% 12.49%

M4 300 15.15% 13.76%

M5 300 15.25% 13.54%

M6 300 15.46% 14.11%

M7 300 13.34% 12.08%

Suntech 300 15.50% 14.11%

Figure 7: STP300-24/Ve efficiency comparison at STC Figure 8: STP300-24/Ve efficiency comparison at NOCT


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 21

3.3.2 OST comments

The comparisons above have been made considering producers on the global market supplying

comparable products (same technology and same nominal output). From the figures above we

consider that the Suntech 250Wp and 300Wp modules reviewed show STC and NOCT

efficiencies above average by market standards. The 255Wp modules showed average STC

efficiency but a NOCT efficiency slightly above average. We consider this to be indicative that the

cells used by Suntech are of suitable quality for the 250Wp, 255Wp and 300Wp modules.

3.4 Fill Factor

An additional parameter for the evaluation of the performance of a solar PV module is the Fill

Factor, which is defined as the ratio between the actual maximum obtainable power and the

theoretical power (VOC X ISC). Graphically, the Fill Factor is a measure of the "squareness" of the

solar cell IV curve and can be also expressed as the ratio of the area of the largest rectangle

which fits under the IV curve to the area of the rectangle defined by the theoretical power (Figure

9). Standard commercial available solar cells have a Fill Factor greater than 70%. A higher Fill

Factor indicates that less current produced by the light is dissipated in internal losses due to the

series and parallel resistances within the cells themselves. We have analysed the Fill Factor at

STC and NOCT.

Figure 9: Graphical representation of Fill Factor

3.4.1 Manufacturer comparison

The following section compares the Fill Factor of Suntech’s modules and other modules currently

available on the market with the same technology (polycrystalline) and same nominal power

output produced by top-tier and reputable manufacturers.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 22

3.4.1.1 STP250-20/Wd – 250Wp

Table 7: Fill Factor comparison (Suntech STP250-20/Wd)

Manufacturer Power (STC) [ W ] Fill Factor (STC) Fill Factor (NOCT)

M1 250 75.85% 73.81%

M2 250 75.71% 73.81%

M3 250 79.26% 72.95%

M4 250 77.34% 76.31%

M5 250 77.64% 75.75%

M6 250 76.15% 75.41%

M7 250 75.30% 72.75%

Suntech 250 77.52% 76.30%

Figure 10: STP250-20/Wd Fill Factor comparison at STC Figure 11: STP250-20/Wd Fill Factor comparison at NOCT


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 23

3.4.1.2 TP255-20/Wd – 255Wp

Table 8: Fill Factor comparison (Suntech STP255-20/Wd)


M1 255 75.82% 73.23%

M2 255 76.31% 75.81%

M3 255 76.56% 75.95%

M4 255 75.58% 73.22%

M5 255 75.10% 74.53%

M6 255 76.77% 74.77%

M7 255 74.98% 73.44%

Suntech 255 77.43% 75.98%

Figure 12: STP255-20/Wd Fill Factor comparison at STC Figure 13: STP255-20/Wd Fill Factor comparison at NOCT


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 24

3.4.1.3 STP300-24/Ve – 300Wp

Table 9: Fill Factor comparison (Suntech STP300-24/Ve)


M1 300 75.74% 73.77%

M2 300 76.79% 74.47%

M3 300 74.39% 74.48%

M4 300 79.02% 77.40%

M5 300 75.12% 73.67%

M6 300 75.55% 75.28%

M7 300 73.84% 71.72%

Suntech 300 76.38% 75.44%

Figure 14: STP300-24/Ve Fill Factor comparison at STC Figure 15: STP300-24/Ve Fill Factor comparison at NOCT


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 25

3.4.2 OST Comments

From the above figures we note that all modules have fill factors above the industry standards for

polycrystalline modules at both STC and NOCT. The STP255-20/Wd had the best Fill Factor of

all modules compared in this review. This indicates that the cells utilised by Suntech are of

satisfactory quality.

3.5 Conclusions on manufacturers comparison

The following tables summarize the efficiency and Fill Factors of Suntech modules and the

averages of nine different manufacturers, including Suntech.

Table 10: Efficiency and Fill Factors summary table

Module Efficiency (STC)

Efficiency

(NOCT)

Fill Factor (STC) Fill Factor(NOCT)

STP250-20/Wd 15.40% 14.21% 77.52% 76.30%

STP255-20/Wd 15.70% 14.45% 77.43% 75.98%

STP300-24/Ve 15.50% 14.11% 76.38% 75.44%

Table 11: Average Efficiency and Fill Factors summary nine manufacturers

Module Efficiency (STC)

Efficiency

(NOCT)

Fill Factor (STC) Fill Factor(NOCT)

250 - Wp 15.26% 13.98% 76.80% 74.38%

255 - Wp 15.67% 14.31% 76.00% 74.50%

300 - Wp 14.98% 13.54% 76.00% 74.70%

We note that Suntech STP250-20/Wd and STP300-24/Ve modules reviewed show STC

efficiencies slightly above average. However, the STP255-20/Wd module has average STC

module efficiency. However all modules displayed NOCT efficiencies above average by

standards of the considered market.

All Suntech modules have fill factors above industry standards for polycrystalline modules at both

STC and NOCT and the fill factors of the STP2555-20/Wd module ranked high above average

market offering.

3.6 Certifications

The Suntech modules reviewed in this report, which are going to be used in the UK, hold the

following certifications which are summarized in the table below.

Table 12: Summary of certifications

Certification Description Required Certified

IEC61215 Crystalline silicon terrestrial PV modules, design

qualification, and type approval. √ √

IEC61730 PV module safety qualification, Parts 1 and 2;

requirements for construction and testing,

including protection class II.

√ √


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 26

Certification Description Required Certified

IEC61701ed. 2,

severity 1. Salt mist corrosion test; requirements of PV

modules in salt-laden air.

x √

IEC 62716 ed. 1.0. Certificate for ammonia corrosion test. x √

MCS BBA 0007 Is to achieve a micro-generation quality

assurance scheme that is in accordance with

documented standards, a requirement for

Government incentives in the UK.

x √

CSA - UL1703 Is to achieve compliance with regulation in the

USA and Canada provide increased assurance

of quality and safety.

x √

ISO9001:2008 Certification for quality management system x √

ISO14001:2004 Certification for environmental management

system. x √

OHSAS18001:2007 Certification for occupational health and safety

management system. x √

JET PVm JET (Japan Electrical Safety & Environment

Technology Laboratories) is to comply to various

performance and safety tests (conformity tests)

based on the relevant international standards

(IEC61215 & IEC1730) and have been

manufactured under the strict quality control.

x √

CE Marking It is to achieve compliance with EU Product

Safety Regulations and Low Voltage Directive. √ √

SGS certificate for desert dust test (issued on 12th September 2012). x √

Certificate for PV cycle for the disposal of PV modules after

dismantling x √

We consider the above certifications to be in line with market standards and appropriate for use in

the EU and UK.

3.7 Returns

OST has been provided with a summary of customer complaints about module quality made to

the factory, for the year 2013, after Suntech Power Holdings declared insolvency in early 2012.

The Manufacturer has provided a summary of all module complaints for the year 2013, with

details about the defect detected.

Table 13: List of complaints

Date Defect description QTY (no of modules)

2013 Broken cell 3

Broken glass 1

Broken junction box 2

Bubble on backsheet 2


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 27

Date Defect description QTY (no of modules)

Damaged/Wrong frame 12

Dent on backsheet 1

Low/No output 16

Silicone residue on module 3

Stain on glass 6

Wrong insulation stipe in lamination 1

Wrong nameplate or datasheet 5

White spot around ribbon 2

Stain on module 2

2013 Total 56

Figure 16: Claims by type - 2013

The above pie chart categorises the defects by type. During the year 2013, the Manufacturer

received 17ppm module complaints, of which 6ppm were claims made after installation. It

appears that the majority of the defects arose during production. While the incidence of

replacements is negligible; OST cannot comment on the increase or decrease of complaints,

relative to previous years. The Manufacturer should provide documentation about the number of

warranty claims and returns for products for at least a number of years.

OST notes that the Manufacturer provided a customer claim list, declaring that all claims have

been closed, however, it is not clear whether these claims were accepted or invalid. The


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 28

Manufacturer has not provided further details about claims in order to evaluate the complexity

level of the claim procedure.

We note that the analysis of returns undertaken in this section applies to Suntech Power Holdings

modules previously manufactured at the facility with similar set of components and machinery.

We also note that Suntech issued in a Customer Warranty Letter on its home page on the 18th

April 2014, stating that the Manufacturer will continue to underwrite all the product and

performance warranties for the products manufactured in the past and contracts entered no

matter before or after the start of its restructuring phase on 20th March 2013. Thus, due to the

continuity of warranties on products manufactured in the past and the similarity with the Suntech

modules currently manufactured, we consider that the analysis above can be taken as

representative.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 29

4 Module Testing

As part of our review, a set of validation tests were carried out on a set of 11 modules (model

STP255-20/Wd (255Wp)), selected by OST Energy, at IPSol Energy laboratories in Nottingham.

The tests and measurements made by IPSol were intended to probe the reliability and

manufacturing quality of the modules and also to assess their performance.

4.1 The set of validation tests

The devices under test (DUTs) were Suntech STP255-20/Wd polycrystalline solar PV modules.

The sample of 11 modules tested was selected by OST Energy. The set of validation tests was

carried out during May/June 2014 and the following tests were undertaken to assess the

modules’ quality and reliability:

Visual inspection

Maximum power measurement

Electroluminescence testing

Insulation testing

Performance at NOCT

Performance at low and intermediate irradiances

Thermal imaging/∆T

Hot-spot endurance test

Potential induced degradation test

The set of modules tested was selected by OST and provided by the Manufacturer. The serial

numbers of the modules tested are given below. The tests undertaken on each module are

outlined in the table. One of the modules was utilised as a control for the PID test.

Table 14: Module serial numbers

Module number Module serial number Type of test

1 0B2314262020501814 Visual inspection

Maximum power determination

Insulation test

Performance at NOCT

Performance at low irradiance

Performance at intermediate irradiance

2 0B2314262020411814

3 0B2314262020371814

4 0B2314262020471814

5 0B2314262020181814

6 0B2314262020421814 PID control module

7 0B2314262020261814 Hot-spot endurance test

Thermal Imaging & ΔT

Electro-luminescence

Potential Induced Degradation

8 0B2314262020251814

9 0B2314262020161814

10 0B2314262020041814

11 0B2314262020091814


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 30

4.1.1 Visual inspection

Five of the modules were inspected on arrival and assessed against IEC EN 61215:2005 visual

inspection criteria. For a module to pass these criteria it must be free of major visual defects.

According to Section 10.1 of IEC 61215:2005, the modules are inspected under illumination of

not less than 1,000 lux for the following conditions:

Cracked, bent, misaligned or torn external surfaces;

Broken cells;

Cracked cells;

Faulty interconnections or joints;

Cells touching one another or the frame;

Failure of adhesive bonds;

Bubbles or delamination forming a continuous path between a cell and the edge of

the module;

Tacky surfaces of plastic materials;

Faulty terminations, exposed live electrical parts;

Any other conditions which may affect performance;

Failure of adhesive bonds;

Visual bond check of junction box sealing;

Visual bond check of frame & mounting sealing.

Scratches to cell surfaces were present on all modules examined. However, such defects were

minor in nature and all modules were deemed to have passed the visual inspection.

4.1.2 Maximum Power measurement

Maximum power measurements were taken to assess the performance of the modules at STC

(25°C, 1000W/m2, 1.5 AM) and to compare with the manufacturer’s declared rated output. The

modules tested were labelled as having a power output at STC of 255W with tolerance of -0/

+5%. The results of the tests are included in the following table.

Table 15: Maximum Power measurement results

Serial number of module Power at STC [W] Difference to nameplate

0B2314262020261814 259.3 1.69 %

0B2314262020251814 258.6 1.41 %

0B2314262020161814 256.1 0.43 %

0B2314262020041814 257.8 1.10 %

0B2314262020091814 258.8 1.49 %

Average 258.1 1.22 %

The range of outputs recorded for the modules tested was 258.8W to 259.3W1. The narrow

range of values for Isc, Imp, Voc and Vmp across the sample suggests a consistent quality.

We note that the average Fill Factor of 76.0% is in the range expected for 255W polycrystalline

modules.

1 The uncertainty of measurement for Pmpp is max ±2.5%, Isc is max ±2.3%, Voc is max ±1.0%.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 31

4.1.3 Electroluminescence imaging

IEC 61215 does not require electroluminescence (EL) imaging to be undertaken on the modules

as part of the test procedures; however, the modules were imaged using an electro-luminescence

(EL) technique which shows defects not detectable in a visual inspection such as micro-cracks,

short circuits, finger interruptions and other manufacturing defects. The images were assessed

using the IPSol Energy Classification System and graded A to C (with A being of highest quality

and C of lowest).

All modules tested were adjudged to be of class A with the images indicating no significant micro-

cracking or other production defects. The cells appeared to be of a consistently high quality and

well matched within each module imaged.

4.1.4 Insulation test

The five modules were subjected to an insulation test according to IEC EN 61215:2005 10.3.

Insulation resistance is an electrical safety test. The purpose is to determine whether a module

has a sufficient electrical insulation between its current carrying parts and the frame (or the

outside world). A dielectric strength tester is used to apply a DC voltage source of up to 1000V

plus twice the maximum system voltage (3000V).

All modules passed the test and demonstrated insulation resistances greatly in excess of the

pass criterion.

4.1.5 Performance at NOCT

The maximum power at STC is universally quoted when evaluating PV modules. This is primarily

because these specific conditions are relatively easy to reproduce in the laboratory. STC

conditions are however rarely seen in the real world so by measuring power output at other

conditions a data set can be generated that can be used to validate a manufacturer’s

performance curves and serve as a guide to how a module may perform in the field.

Nominal Cell Operating Temperature (NOCT) is defined as the equilibrium mean solar cell

junction temperature within an open rack mounting system at 800Wm2, 25°C and wind speed of

1ms and is determined by testing according to IEC EN 61215. The NOCT value declared by the

manufacturer for the modules tested was 45±2oC.

Table 16: results of measurement at NOCT

Serial number of module Power at NOCT [W]

0B2314262020411814 187.8

0B2314262020371814 189.4

0B2314262020471814 188.7

0B2314262020181814 188.7

0B2314262020411814 188.3

The minimum measured power output at NOCT was 188.3W. The average of five tested modules

was 188.6, 1.95% above the manufacturer’s declared value of 185.0W.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 32

4.1.6 Performance at low and intermediate irradiance

Measurements of power output at irradiances of 200, 400, 600 and 800 W/m2 were taken on five

modules. As with the measurements at STC, the results at each irradiance level were confined to

a very narrow range implying a consistent quality. The average values were the following:

Table 17: Low and intermediate irradiance performance

Serial number of

module

P at

200W/m2

(W)

P at

400W/m2

(W)

P at

600W/m2

(W)

P at

800W/m2

(W)

P at

1,000W/m2

(W)

0B2314262020501814 50.0 102.6 155.2 206.6 258.1

0B2314262020411814 50.3 103.1 155.8 207.7 259.6

0B2314262020371814 50.1 102.8 155.2 206.8 258.2

0B2314262020471814 50.2 102.9 155.5 207.2 258.6

0B2314262020181814 50.1 102.7 155.1 206.6 258.0

Average 50.1 102.8 155.4 207.0 258.4

Figure 17 below shows the relative efficiencies for different irradiation levels of all of the five

modules tested by IPSol.

Figure 17: Relative low irradiation efficiencies of the modules tested by IPSol

In general, the relative efficiency of the five modules at low irradiance tested by IPSol is in line

with our expectations.

96.50%

97.00%

97.50%

98.00%

98.50%

99.00%

99.50%

100.00%

100.50%

200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

Re

lati

ve e

ffic

ien

cy (

%)

Irradiance (W/m2)

Relative efficiency

0B2314262020501814 0B2314262020411814 0B2314262020371814

0B2314262020471814 0B2314262020181814 Average


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 33

4.1.7 Thermal imaging & ΔT

Thermal imaging is used to assess mismatch of cell classes used in an individual module that

could give rise to hot-spot overheating. ∆T is the difference between the temperature of the

hottest cell and the mean temperature of the module after being exposed to simulated sunlight

under short circuit conditions. A high value of ∆T could be evidence of poorly matched cells but

also could be evidence of damage to individual cells. All modules tested recorded a ∆T of less

than 10°C with four modules of the sample recording values of less than 7.5°C.

These values suggest the cells in the modules tested are electrically well matched.

4.1.8 Hot spot endurance test

The purpose of this test is to determine the ability of a module to withstand hot-spot heating

effects, for example solder melting or deterioration of the encapsulation. These defects can be

provoked by cracked or mismatched cells, interconnect failures, partial shadowing or soiling. To

satisfy the criteria detailed in IEC EN 61215 the most ‘vulnerable’ cell in a module is stressed for

a period of five hours.

To establish if any deterioration to the module results from hot-spot stressing it is necessary to

repeat the power measurement, insulation resistance and wet leakage tests before and after hot-

spot stressing. To satisfactorily pass the test the module must show no ‘major visual defect’,

power output must not decrease by more than 5%, and insulation resistance and wet leakage

must meet the criteria set down in IEC EN 61215:2005.

There was no evidence of visual degradation in any of the modules after hot-spot stressing with

the change in power after stressing being statistically insignificant. The modules also passed

insulation resistance and wet leakage testing after stressing, and were thus deemed to have

passed the test.

4.1.9 Potential Induced Degradation test

Power loss of a PV module can occur due to stressing of the junction of the cell because of the

system voltage between the frame and the laminate. By knowing the vulnerability of a module to

PID, preventive measures can be taken to minimise this source of power loss in an installation

(e.g. inverter selection, grounding design). The PID test simulates conditions where potential

induced degradation can occur by applying the manufacturer’s declared maximum system

voltage between the laminate and the module frame in damp heat conditions.

The modules under test are stressed at 1000V for a period of 96 hours at 60°C and 85%RH

according to the draft standard IEC 62804. Electroluminescence images are taken before and

after stressing to assess degradation. Change in power output (∆P) is also measured. Modules

with a ∆P <5% are adjudged class A; 5%<∆P<30% class B; and ∆P >30% class C. A control

module is included in the test to make certain any degradation observed is the result of PID

stressing and is not solely a result of the damp heat conditions. In the modules under test an

average of 2.1% degradation was observed meaning they were given an ‘A’ classification for PID

resistance.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 34

4.1.10 Conclusions

All modules tested were generally of a high quality, with power outputs across a range of

conditions meeting or exceeding the manufacturer’s quoted values. There was a narrow spread

in the results for the five modules that underwent performance testing suggesting a consistent

quality of module across the sample. Resistance to hotspot stressing was excellent, with the

values for ΔT suggesting the cells in the modules tested were appropriately matched. A small

drop in power output was evident in PID stressing but the results remained comfortably inside the

‘A’ classification for PID resistance.

The EL and thermal imaging showed the cells of the modules tested to be well matched and of a

high quality, as would be expected for a module of a rated output of 255W.

While the test results are promising we do not consider it possible to draw any profound

conclusions regarding the population(s) from which the samples were taken.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 35

5 Review of Production Machines and Key Components

5.1 Suppliers of production machines

Module production is undertaken at the Suntech facilities with machines from a number of suppliers. The manufacturing equipment suppliers for

production processes are listed in the tables below.

Table 18: Suppliers of production equipment

Name Type QTY

Origin of

Supplier

Capacity per

machine per

shift (pcs) Supplier Note

Cutting

machine

EVA/TPT

DM11 1 Changzhou,

China

4351 Changzhou Demao Automation

Technology Co., Ltd

Changzhou Demao Automation

Technology Co., Ltd. produces

photovoltaic equipment. The

production includes solar cell

module equipment, automatic

cutting machine, automatic group

box machine, dryer and corner solar

module production line. No details

have been found in the public

domain and neither in the

documentation provided by

Suntech, so OST cannot comment

on the reliability of this supplier.

BX-STE2 9 n/a 4351 Shanghai Boxianshiye Co., Ltd No information has been found in

the public domain so OST cannot

comment reliability of this supplier

Tabbing TOYAMA DF2 1 Japan 160 Stream Co., Ltd Toyama Kikai K.K. was founded in


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 36

Name Type QTY

Origin of

Supplier

Capacity per

machine per


Machine TOYAMA DF3 1 160 1963. Company headquarters are

located in Osaka, Japan. Most sales

of tabbing machines are to Chinese

companies however Toyama has

sold a considerable amount to the

Japanese, Korean and European

markets. Limited information has

been sighted regarding Toyama,

however based on physical

inspection, the equipment appears

to be of satisfactory standard to not

cause any material concern.

XCell3300 1 USA 180 Komax Systems York Komax Solar is an established

supplier of manufacturing machinery

to the photovoltaic industry. Komax

Group is headquartered in

Switzerland and has facilities in

France, USA and Malaysia. It is a

manufacturer for wire processing,

solar and medical technology.

Komax Group was founded in 1975

and currently has approximately

1000 employees. An acquisition of

the tabbing machine company Ascor

started their solar section and the

dedicated solar wing Komax Solar

was created in 2009. In the solar


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 37

Name Type QTY

Origin of

Supplier

Capacity per

machine per


field, Komax is a worldwide supplier

of machines for the production of

crystalline and thin-film modules.

The machines include stringers, lay-

up systems, and laminators, which

take care of the final stage of

sealing the fragile matrices.

The release of their new Stringer X2

machine in the first half of 2010

increased Komax Solar sales to

17.7 Million GBP.

OST are confident in Komax’s ability

to use their extensive experience to

produce high quality production

machines.

SL200 2 Spain 189 Electricidad Gorosabel Electricidad Gorosabel was

established in 1957 and focussed

on supporting the industrial

automation sector until 1999 when a

new division was created within the

company, Gorosabel Solar Energy.

The company manufactures

machines for tabbing/stringing, sun

simulators, framing and cell

testing/sorting.

Gorosabel is based in northern


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 38

Name Type QTY

Origin of

Supplier

Capacity per

machine per


Spain but has distributors in

China/India as well as Endeas in

Spain. The company provides

references to customers such as

Suntech, Canadian Solar, AUO,

Yingli and others although it has not

been stated what equipment has

been supplied to these module

manufacturers.

The Group as a whole has 80

professional employees and 3500m2

of manufacturing facilities, although

the extent of this that is allocated to

the solar division has not been

confirmed. The division Gorosabel

Automatica is ISO 9001 accredited

but it has not been confirmed

whether this also applies to the solar

division.

We consider Gorosabel to be an

established supplier for

Stringer/Layup machines.

Mandragon 2 Spain 189 Mondragon Assembly S.Coop Mondragon Assembly is an

international group that specializes

in the development of integrated

automation solutions. Founded in


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 39

Name Type QTY

Origin of

Supplier

Capacity per

machine per


1954, the group now has more than

280 companies and employs 80,000

people. With sound experience in

automation, Mondragon Assembly

delivers a comprehensive range of

high-speed automated machines

and solutions. We are comfortable

that Mondragon Assembly has

suitable experience in the

production of tabbing machines.

TT1200HS 5 Germany 236 Teamtechnik Maschinen Teamtechnik is a German company

with 30 years of experience in

development and construction of

automotive equipment. It is a leader

in the market with its high-

performance systems and non-

contact soldering process.

We consider the company to be an

established supplier.

LDTS1400B

und Anla

37 Germany 222 Wuxi Lead Auto Equipment Co.,

Ltd

Wuxi Lead Auto is a new energy

automation equipment

manufacturer, integrating equipment

R&D, parts purchasing, processing,

assembly, programming, debugging,

and after-sale service. No further

details have been found in the


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 40

Name Type QTY

Origin of

Supplier

Capacity per

machine per


public domain and neither in the

documentation provided by

Suntech, so OST cannot comment

on the reliability of this supplier.

Conveyance

line machine

Cascade

SCA1300

18 Suzhou, China N/A Kuttler Automation Systems Co.,

Ltd

Kuttler Automation is manufacturer

of automation systems for the

printed circuit board industry.

Located in Germany and China, the

manufacturer employs 100

employees world-wide. The

manufacturer has a 25 year

experience in automation solutions.

The manufacturer has expanded its

business in Europe and worldwide.

We consider the company to be an


Test SC1100 13 N/A

Framing

Machine

Kuttler (Amfl-

D0146)

6 661

El Testing Kuttler 11 728

Laminator ICOLAM 44/23 32 Germany 174 Meier Solar Solutions Gmbh Meier Solar Solutions Gmbh,

formerly Meier Vakuumtechnik

GmbH is a manufacturer of PV

laminators. NPC Europe GmbH, the

leading Japanese manufacturer of

machines and systems for the

photovoltaic industry and Meier

Solar Solutions GmbH have merged

to form a new company named

NPC-Meier GmbH. No details have

been found in the public domain and

ICOLAM 28/18 2

15 layers 1 433


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 41

Name Type QTY

Origin of

Supplier

Capacity per

machine per


neither in the documentation

provided by Suntech, so OST

cannot comment on the reliability of

this supplier.

LM-S-14×240 1 Japan 37 NPC NPC Incorporated was founded in

1992 for the purpose of production

and sale of vacuum packing

machines. In 1994, NPC developed

the Module Laminator entering into

the photovoltaic market. Since then,

NPC released a series of new

machines including Cell Testers,

Tabbing and Stringing Machines,

Module Testers and other

peripherals to the market, providing

a complete line-up for

manufacturing photovoltaic

modules. The company has

expanded its business worldwide,

including Europe (Germany), China,

Taiwan, Korea and the US.

Products offered include fully

automated Crystalline Silicon and

Thin film Module Assembly Lines

and a variety of single unit devices.

We consider NPC to be a reputable

LM-SA-

170X260-S

1 109

LM-SA-

215X320-S

1 109


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 42

Name Type QTY

Origin of

Supplier

Capacity per

machine per


manufacturer of machinery for PV

module production.

CYY-

A3400DGM

12 133 Shanghai Difa Automation

Equipment Co., Ltd

Shanghai Difa Automation

Equipment Co., Ltd is a

manufacturer of solar module

laminating machines. The company

holds the following certification:

management certification: ISO

9000/9001/9004/19011: 2000. No

further information has been found

in the public domain so OST cannot

comment reliability of this supplier.

2200*4400(23/

36)

42 Wuxi, China 177 Wuxi Shang'en Technology Co.,

Ltd

No information has been found in


comment reliability of this supplier. Automatic

conveyance

line machine

10000*1200*20

00

11 N/A

Framing

Machine

Manual

hydraulic

pressure

41 Wuxi, China 730 Wuxi Xingjiang Jiayuan

Technology Co., Ltd

No information has been found in



Semi-automatic

air pressure

6 661

Final Testing PSS8 33 Germany 691 BERGER Lichttechnik GmbH &

Co.KG

BERGER Lichttechnik was

established in 1960 with the

development and production of


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 43

Name Type QTY

Origin of

Supplier

Capacity per

machine per


photographic testers. The company

sold the first flasher to the German

space company MBB in 1973 and

following this, BERGER has

developed a wide range of products

for terrestrial and extra-terrestrial

solar simulation and testing of solar

modules, arrays and cells.

The website details a number of PV

industry references including

Q.Cells, REC Solar, Suntech and

TUV Rheinland Group.

We are comfortable that BERGER

has suitable experience in the

production of flash testers.

El Testing EL-A 2 Shanghai,

China

728 ASIC Shanghai Co.,Ltd ASIC have been providing solar EL

testing machines since 2009. They

are based in Shanghai and supply

many of the surrounding Chinese

PV module manufacturers such as

JA Solar, Trina Solar, Yingli Solar

and Jinko Solar.

Despite having only five years

manufacturing history and limited

information in the public domain, the

extensive top-tier customer list


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 44

Name Type QTY

Origin of

Supplier

Capacity per

machine per


suggests acceptability.

OPT-M140DA 8 Shanghai,

China

728 Shanghai Optech Science And

Technology Co.,Ltd

Shanghai Optech Science And

Technology focuses on the

manufacturing of wafer sorters, life

time analysers, wafer & cell vision

inspectors, cell sorter and EL

testers. Located in China, the

company has 100 employees. No

further information has been found

in the public domain so OST cannot


We note that limited information was available for some of the manufacturers. We recommend that further information is provided on the unknown

manufacturers. It is unclear what the capacity (pcs) each machinery handles per shift.

5.2 Suppliers of materials and key components

Suntech has provided a Constructional Data Form (CDF) as part of an IEC certification and IEC Factory Inspection by Electronic and Information

Technologies (VDE) Prüf- und Zertifizierungsinstitut. The CDF provided by Suntech reports materials and key components provided by several

suppliers from various countries worldwide. Several suppliers for a number of the components are detailed in the VDE test report which we consider

leads to a lack of uniformity in the production of the modules. The VDE test report does not detail the combinations of each component which would

limit the variation in the module production

This section outlines the materials and key components sourced from suppliers from various countries worldwide and used in the manufacturing of the

Suntech modules reviewed. In order to produce modules that conform to IEC61215 and IEC61730 standards, the materials used to manufacture the

modules must be in certified by an IEC approved certification body (TUV, VDE, UL or similar) and must be included in the Constructional Data Form

(CDF) that forms part of the certification.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 45

We note that the list of components below is very comprehensive; however, we received confirmation from Suntech that the number of suppliers for

components used for modules which are sold on the European market is limited. These components are highlighted bold.

Table 19: Suppliers of key components of modules

Component Type Supplier OST comments

Cell Suntech:STP156M 3BB Suntech See Section 2

Suntech:STP156M LR

4BB

Q6LTT3 Hanwha Q-cells Q-Cells is a German manufacturer of photovoltaic cells

headquartered in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

Q-Cells established in 1999, was taken over by Hanwha in

2012. OST considers Hanwha Q-cells a reliable manufacturer.

I-Cells Motech Motech Industries, Inc. is dedicated to the research,

development, and manufacture of high quality solar products

and services, ranging from Photovoltaic (PV) cells, PV

modules, PV inverters, to PV power systems.

OST considers Motech a reliable manufacturer.

GIN156M Gintech Gintech Energy Corporation, established in 2005 and

headquartered in Taiwan, is a solar cell manufacturer with a

1.5GW total manufacturing capacity. Gintech’s products are

distributed to customers in Germany, Spain, Italy, other

European countries, the United States, Japan, China, India,

Korea and other Asian countries. Gintech exports more than

95% of its products to overseas markets. According to

Solarbuzz, Gintech was the world’s 8th largest solar cell

manufacturer in 2013. The company produces both poly and

monocrystalline cells.

OST considers Gintech a reliable supplier.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 46


NP6M Neo Solar Power

Corporation (NSP)

NSP is a solar manufacturer specializing in research,

development, and manufacturing of high-efficiency solar cells

and modules. NSP was founded in 2005. Following its merger

with DelSolar in 2013, NSP has become the largest solar cell

and module producer in Taiwan. The company has a cell

production capacity of about 1.9GW and has 1,720 employees;

NSP has the following certification, ISO 9001, 14001, OHSAS

18001 certified by TUV and all products are RoHS compliant.

We are comfortable that NSP is a suitable supplier of solar

cells.

TSM63TN TSEC TSEC Corporation (TSEC), established in June 2010, is a

Taiwanese manufacturer specialised in the production of poly,

mono-like and monocrystalline solar cells.

The company, which ISO9001:2008, ISO14001:2004 and

OHSAS 18001:2007 certified, has a current installed capacity

of 500MW and has plans for an expansion to an expected

capacity of 1GW by end of 2013.

No information regarding other major clients of the company

was available.

D6R Delsolar Delsolar is a solar manufacturer specializing in research,

development, and manufacturing of high-efficiency solar cells,

modules and PV systems. The company was founded in 2004.

Following its merger with NSP in 2013, Delsolar has become

the largest solar cell and module producer in Taiwan. Delsolar

products are approved by TUV.

The company has a cell production capacity of about 1.9GW.

We are comfortable that NSP is a suitable supplier of solar

cells.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 47


M-156-3-Fortis Solartech Energy Corp.

(SEC)

SEC is a solar cell and PV module manufacturer, established

in 2005. SEC has 1,000 employees and an annual capacity of

800 MW of solar cells and 30 MW of module production.

Information in the public domain about the manufacturer is

insufficient and thus OST cannot comment on the

manufacturer’s reliability.

3BB DM Tainergy Tech Co. Ltd. Tainergy designs, develops, manufactures, and markets high-

performance solar cells. Founded in 2007 an IPO in Taiwan

Stock Exchange (TSE) in 16th August 2011. Located in

Taiwan, the company has a capacity of 560 MW. No

information regarding other major clients of the company was

available. Further information on Tainergy could not be found

in the public domain. OST cannot comment on the reliability of

Tainergy.

ISEC 6M Inventec Solar Energy Inventec Solar specialized in research and development

manufacturing of multi-crystaline silicon solar cells. The

company was established by Inventec Group and WIN

Semiconductor as a joint venture in 2010. The company holds

the following certification: ISO9001, ISO14001, OHSAS 18001

and RoHS. No information regarding major clients of the

company was available, thus OST cannot comment on the

reliability of Inventec.

M6B3 Sunengine Sunengine specialized in manufacturing and sales of c-Si solar

cells and relevant products in the solar industry. Founded in

2010, the company now has a production capacity of 220 MW.

We have not been provided with further information about this

company.

Glass n/a Shanghai Flat Glass Shanghai Flat Glass Co. is a subsidiary of Flat Group with


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 48


Co., Ltd. production facilities in Shanghai, China. The group has passed

ISO9001, ISO14001, China Safety Glass 3C, and SPF.U1

grading certifications. Flat Group has been manufacturing low-

iron patterned glass since 2006 and OST considers them a

reliable supplier.

n/a Changshu SYP Special

Glass Co. Ltd

No information has been found in the public domain and no

information about the manufacturer has been provided by

Suntech.

n/a Changzhou Almaden

PV Glasses Co. Ltd.

Changzhou Almaden Stock Co. Ltd was established in

September 2009 manufacturing ultra-clear low iron patterned

glass for the solar photovoltaic industry and solar street lamps.

The company occupies 120,000 square metres and currently

employs nearly 600 employees. Changzhou Almaden

specialises in the production of AR (anti-reflective) glass and

TCO (transparent conductive oxide) glass for use in the

production of PV modules. Their website states Wuxi Suntech

Power Co. Ltd, Suzhou CSI, Jiangsu linyang Solarfun

holdings, Hebei yingli solar, China Sunergy Co. Ltd (Nanjing

and Shanghai) as customers.

We consider Changzhou Almaden Stock Co. Ltd to be an


n/a Taicang Pilkington China

Special Glass Limited

Pilkington Group Limited is a multinational glass manufacturing

company headquartered in St Helens, UK and a wholly owned

subsidiary of the Japan-based (Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.

Group (NSG).

The company manufactures a vast range of glass products in

most building and automotive product markets of the world.

The NSG/Pilkington group is one of the four largest glass


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 49


companies in the world.

OST considers NSG/Pilkington to be an established

manufacturer.

Zhejiang Hehe Glass Co.

Ltd.

Zhejiang Hehe Glass was founded in 1991 and specialized in

developing and trading architectural decorative glass, solar

ultra-white glass and deep-processing glass. The company

has 3200 employees. The manufacturer has passed ISO9001,

ISO14001, OHSAS18001, CE and Zhejiang AAA standardizing

behaviour.

OST considers Hehe to be an established supplier.

Henan Yuhua New

Material Co. Ltd

Henan Yuhua Guangfu New Materials Co., Ltd. engages in the

manufacturing, marketing, and export of solar panel glass

products and is based in Jiaozuo, China. The company exports

its products to Europe, Japan, and South America. Information

on the public domain about manufacturer is insufficient and

thus OST cannot comment on the reliability of this equipment.

Dongguan CSG Solar

Glass Co. Ltd

Dongguan CSG Solar Glass Co., Ltd. is based in Dongguan

City, Guangdong and was established in 2005. The supplier

certified for ISO9001, ISO14001, OHSAS18001, used

components with 3C (2007011302240875) and CTC

(WT20110701) certification. With a production capacity of

24,000,000 m2, nine years of experience, OST considers the

supplier to be reliable.

EVA PV-45FR00S Sanvic Inc. Sanvic, established in 1951, focuses on manufacturing and

marketing of synthetic resin products and marketing of

polyolefin polymer processing machinery. The company has

ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 50


OST considers Sanvic to be an established manufacturer.

FC295P/UF/ EXP X-43-

14-C HLT / EXPX-43-47

STR STR is based in Connecticut, USA and it is an established

manufacturer of encapsulant for solar application with 3GW of

yearly capacity.

OST considers STR to be an established manufacturer.

RC02B Fabro Information about Fabro could not be found in the public

domain and was not provided by Suntech for review.

F806 Hangzhou First PV

Material Co., Ltd.

Hangzhou First PV Material Co., Ltd. is based in Hangzhou,

China. Founded in 2003 in China, First PV is the largest

supplier of EVA film and backsheet materials to the PV

industry in China. The company has ISO 9001 and ISO 14001

and UL (E326347) certifications. With a production capacity of

300,000,000 m2/year, and 12 years of experience, OST

considers the supplier to be reliable.

F406+F806

R767 Revax Revax is a manufacturer of EVA encapsulation sheet for PV

modules. The company has ISO 9001 and ISO 14001

certifications. No information regarding major clients of the

company was available. OST cannot comment on the reliability

of Revax.

15296+15297 Svec Information about Svec could not be found in the public


TF4+TF8 Hangzhou First PV

Material Co., Ltd.

See above.

Backsheet Icosolar 2442 ISOVOLTA Isovolta Group is an international manufacturer of electrical

insulating materials, technical laminates and composites and

was founded in 1949. The company serves about 20

industries with more than 1,700 employees worldwide.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 51


Isovolta began the production of backsheets and

encapsulation films for PV modules in 1985 with its first

product launched in 1988. The subsidiary company, Isovoltaic,

was launched in July 2010.

OST considers Isovolta to be a reliable manufacturer.

PTL 3-38/250, PVL 1000

V

Krempel Krempel is a manufacturer of electrical insulating material,

solar material, electronic materials and special films and

papers. The company has IEC 61730-1 and IEC 60664-1,

ISO/TS 16949 and ISO 9001 certifications. Certain types are

approved as ”UL Recognized Component“(File No. QIHE2.

E312459), TÜV certified (ID 0000033022) and conform to

RoHS and REACH directives. OST considers Krempel to be

an established supplier.

BS-W250-S-FA20 TOYO Aluminum K.K The company was founded in 1931 and later renamed as Toyo

Aluminium K.K. It is currently the second largest backsheet

manufacturer in the world. Toyo employ over 900 staff and its

head office is in Osaka, Japan. They supply other well-known

PV manufacturers. The company holds the following

certifications: ISO9001, ISO14001, UL, IEC and RoHS.

We consider Toyo to be a reliable and experienced manufacturer of backsheet for photovoltaic applications.

WPF325PO, BPF325PO Keiwa Inc. Keiwa Inc. was founded in 1948 and currently manufactures

optical and solar products. The manufacturer has 450

employees. There is limited information about Keiwa in the

public domain, thus, OST cannot comment on the reliability of

this supplier.

STP-BS-001 and BS-TX-

1001

Toppan TPT Toppan TPT is a member of the Toppan Group. The group is

established in printing technologies, information technology,


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 52


electronic and living environment. No information regarding

major clients or operations of the company was available.

HTK-D330-31 Huitong Information about Huitong could not be found in the public


LBS-CF LG Chem Ltd. LG Chem Ltd. was established in 1947 as Lucky Chemical

Industrial Corporation manufacturing cosmetics and was

renamed in 1995. LG Chem supplies petrochemicals ranging

from basic distillates to speciality polymers. Referred to as LG

Chemical it is the largest Korean chemical company and is

headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. According to ICIS

report, it is 15th biggest chemical company in the world in

2011. OST considers LG Chem to be a reliable manufacturer.

VTPE1 Taiflex Taiflex Scientific was founded by professionals from ITRI

(Industrial Technology Research Institute) in 1997. In April

1999, Taiflex obtained ISO9001 certification. Taiflex has ~800

employees and its primary products are FCCL (Flexible

Copper-Cladded Laminate), Cover Layer, PV module back

sheet and optical film material. The company has the following

certifications, amongst others, ISO 9001, ISO14001,

ISO/TS16949, TOSHMS, OHSAS 18001, IECQ HSPM, UL,

TUV. OST considers Taiflex to be a reliable manufacturer.

Cynagard 09101

and 100 A

Cybrid Cybrid began in 2008 from a high polymer material laboratory.

The company manufactures photovoltaic materials, electric

insulation materials, electric information materials, household

appliance materials and motor materials in medical science.

Since the end of 2009, Cybrid has supplied over 20 million m2

of backsheet to the PV industry, including Yingli Solar,

Canadiansolar and Trinasolar. OST considers Cybrid to be a


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 53


reputable manufacturer.

FFC-JW30(White/Black) Jolywood Sunwatt

Co.,Ltd

Jolywood (Suzhou) Sunwatt Co.,Ltd is a national high-tech

enterprise, whichis specialized in the researching,

manufacturing and selling PV encapsulation materials.

Founded in March, 2008. Jolywood’s backsheet has been

certified by UL, TUV Rhineland, JET, SGS, National Center of

Supervision and Inspection on Solar Photovoltaic Product

Quality (CPVT), ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001. OST

considers Jolywood Sunwatt to be a reputable manufacturer.

LTW-09ST-2 Toray Toray Group focuses on manufacturing plastic and chemicals,

fibers & textiles, IT-related products, carbon fiber composite

and engineering and environment. Information regarding other

major clients or the operations of the company was not

available. The manufacturer has limited information on the

public domain pertaining to the manufacturing of backsheets.

Although having limited information in the public domain

pertaining to the manufacturing of backsheets, the extensive

top-tier customer list suggests acceptability.

BEC-301 Hangzhou First PV

Material Co. Ltd.

See above

APA 3G ISOVOLTA Isovolta Group is an international manufacturer of electrical

insulating materials, technical laminates and composites and

was founded in 1949. The company serves about 20

industries with more than 1,700 employees worldwide.

Isovolta began the production of backsheets and

encapsulation films for PV modules in 1985 with its first

product launched in 1988. The subsidiary company, Isovoltaic,

was launched in July 2010. OST considers this supplier to be


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 54


reliable.

dyMat PYE SPV CoveMe CoveMe produces polyester film for photovoltaic modules for

20 years and has more than 200 employees and a production

capacity of about 18 tonnes of polyester film. CoveMe is

headquartered in Bologna, active since 1965 and with

production facilities in Italy and China. It is ISO9001:2008 and

ISO14001:2004 certified. All dyMat products have the UL

certificate of compliance and the TUV partial discharge

certificate. dyMat PYE and dyMat PYE SPV have the TUV

InterCert IEC61215 and dyMat PYE SPV is JET certified. From

the information available, OST is in general satisfied with the

reliability of this manufacturer.

Cynagard 245A

and 215 A

Cybird, See above.

GPE-B02 Green Information about Green could not be found in the public


TFB-30 Jolywood See above.

Frame n/a

Xie He Information about Xie He could not be found in the public


Kaima Information about Kaima could not be found in the public


Hongyibao Electronic

Equipment Co

Hongyibao Electronic Equipment Co designs and

manufactures a series of wafer cleaning and texturing

equipment. Now with more than 120 employees and cover a

plant area of 7,500 square meters. The manufacturer holds a

certification for ISO9001:2000. OST cannot comment on the

reliability of the manufacturer.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 55


Frame adhesive 1527 Tonsan Adhesive. Inc. Tonsan is an adhesive manufacturer located in Beijing, China.

Tonsan started production in 1993. The company produces

eight adhesives categories and supplies 26 industries. The

manufacturer holds a certification for ISO9001:2008, ISO

14001:2004 BS OHSAS:18002: 2007, IS0/TS 16949:2009 by

TUV. OST consider Tonsan to be a reliable supplier.

HT8258 Dongcheng Dongcheng is a manufacturer of adhesive label sticker,

packaging box, graphic overlay, Silicone keyboard and blister

packaging, targeting markets in Southeast Asia, North

America, Africa, Oceania. Founded in 2007, the company

employs more than 500 people. Information regarding other

major clients or the operations of the company was not

available. OST cannot comment on the reliability of the

manufacturer.

S56 Otto Hermann OTTO GmbH was founded in 1881 in Berlin as a

putty-manufacturing factory. Over the past 130 years it has

developed into a specialized producer of sealants and

adhesives with an excellent reputation in construction as well

as industry. OST considers the supplier to be reliable.

Junction Box TL BOX026 and TL

BOX029

Tongling Zhenjiang TongLing Electrics Co., LTD. is located in

Yangzhong City, Jiangsu and produces solar junction boxes.

Most of the products have passed TUV and UL certification.

Presently, the factory has become a long-term supplier to

many other PV module manufacturers in the Chinese market.

The company also exports products to Japan, North America.

There is limited information on Tongling in the public domain,

we recommend that further details are provided.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 56


GF20 Cixi Renhe Renhe Photovoltaic Technology Co., Ltd. is a company that

specialises in production, R&D, sales and service for PV

junction box, connector and cable used for solar PV module.

The company has ~1000 employees and the production

capacity is around 100,000 sets per day. Renhe products are

approved by UL, TUV, IEC, CSA, TUV and ROHS while the

company is managed through ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and

OHSAS 18001. OST considers Zhejiang Renhe to be a reliable

manufacturer.

PV-ZH011 Nibo Free Trade

Zhonghuan

Information about Nibo Free Trade Zhonghuan could not be

found in the public domain and was not provided by Suntech

for review.

RY3 Huber & Suhner Huber & Suhner develops and produces high-quality electrical

and optical connections, cable systems antennas and lightning

protectors. Founded in 1969 in Switzerland the company has

certification for: ISO 9001 and 14001 and IRI Railway

solutions. OST considers the supplier to be reliable.

Diode STPS1545CG ST Microelectronics ST Microelectronics was founded in 1957, an integrated device

manufacturer for Sense and Power, Automotive, and

Embedded Processing Solutions. The company has

approximately 45,000 employees and owns about 16,000

patents, about 9,000 patent families and 598 new filings. OST

considers that ST is an established manufacturer.

MBRB1545CT ON Semiconductor ON Semiconductor focuses on energy efficient power and

signal management, logic, discrete and custom solutions used

in unique design challenges in automotive, communications,

computing, consumer, industrial, LED lighting, medical,

military/aerospace and power supply applications. The


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 57


company was founded in 1999 as a spin-off from Motorola and

has 22, 000 employees. The company has certification for: ISO

14001. OST considers that ST is an established manufacturer.

MBRB15H45CT Vishay Vishay Intertechnology founded in 1962 is one of the world’s

largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors and passive

electronic components. The company is well equipped to

maintain qualifications to a wide range of specifications for

Military, IS0 9000, TS 16949, NASA (National Aeronautics and

Space Administration Standards) and DIN (German Industrial

Standards). OST considers ON Semiconductor to be reliable.

MBRS15H45CT and

15SQ045/10SQ050/SB15

40LS

Taiwan Semiconductor Taiwan Semiconductor’s product portfolio to include Analog

ICs, Power Transistors and MosFETs. Established in 1979.

Taiwan Semiconductor currently employs 2,300 people and is

the world's largest dedicated independent semiconductor

foundry, with its headquarters and main operations. The

company has certification for: TS16949, ISO9001 and

ISO14001. OST considers TS to be an established

manufacturer.

SR3045 Jinan Jinheng Information about Jinan Jinheng could not be found in the

public domain and was not provided by Suntech for review.

PST4020 Renhe See above.

SB3040DY Panjit Panjit is a subsidiary of the Panjit Group, founded in 2002.

Panjit focuses on manufacturing of semiconductor, MOSFETs,

rectifiers, switches, zener and LED application. Information

regarding other major clients or the operations of the company

was not available. The company has certification for: TS16949,

ISO9001 and ISO14001. OHSAS18001, IECQ QC080000, ISO


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 58


140641, PAS 2050. OST considers Panjit to be a reliable

manufacturer.

Connector CL-C4, CB-C4 Huber & Suhner See above.

PV-KST4/6II-UR, PV-

KBT4/6II-UR

Multi-Contact Multi-Contact AG was founded 1962 in Basel, Switzerland and

has 4, 000 employees. The company has certification for: ISO

9001, DIN ISO 14001. OST considers MC to be a reliable and

experienced manufacturer of connectors.

Helios H4 Amphenol Amphenol Corporation is a major producer of electronic and

fiber optic connectors, cable and interconnect systems such as

coaxial cables for automotive, industrial, mobile network and

medical applications. The company was founded in 1932. OST

considers Amphenol to be a reliable and experienced

manufacturer.

PV-ZH202 Zhonghuan See above.

05-6 Renhe See above.

Cable-01 Tongling See above.

3153 Tonsan See above.

OST considers the majority of material suppliers to be reliable or established. However, there are many suppliers which leads to a lack of consistency

in the product quality. Two cell suppliers have no information in the public domain, while a third cell supplier has limited information about their

operation or certification. Nineteen material suppliers have limited information in the public domain and OST recommends that further documentation

should be provided.

Suntech has supplied a spreadsheet of the purchased solar cell capacity for the year 2012 and 2013. We note that solar cells were supplied by six

different suppliers and used in less than 14.2% of the manufactured PV modules in 2012 and 4.4% in 2013 with the remainder of the cells provided by

Suntech.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 59

OST notes that all the modules reviewed have common suppliers and key components. All the key components listed above are certificated by VDE

Prüf- und Zertifizierungsinstitut. Any additional components used or intended to be used in the manufacturing of the Suntech modules (apart from

those outlined in Table 19) should be added to the CDF outlined in the VDE Prüf- und Zertifizierungsinstitut list.

Poly-crystalline cells are partly provided internally by Suntech and from other suppliers, and are also listed in the VDE Prüf- und Zertifizierungsinstitut

certificate.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 60

6 Factory Visit Findings

The Suntech module factory in Wuxi was visited on the 12th June 2014 by Martin Cincelli and

Gustaf Schuler of OST Energy and Tim Carter of IPSol Energy; also present was Leta Li (Global

Product Management, Certification & Assurance Manager) and various representatives from

different departments.

The following sections describe the manufacturing and quality processes as witnessed on site

including comments on each step.

6.1 Receipt of material from supplier

The various components utilised for the manufacturing of the modules are delivered to the

storage facilities located in a building beside the manufacturing lines. On receipt of material each

batch of components receives a label with a bar code, indicating the component, the supplier,

manufacturing, delivery and ‘use-by’ date, before a number of Incoming Quality Control (IQC)

checks are carried out on different samples in accordance with the IQC plan outlined in the

sections below.

In case of non-conformities, the batch is rejected and stored within a separate area in the

warehouse before it is sent back to the supplier who is required to provide feedback on the

nonconforming component. If the sample passes the IQC, either a green sticky label (for the

cells) or a stamp (for all other components) is applied on the internal label on each box forming

part of the sample/batch and the components are moved to the appropriate storage area (see

Section 6.2).

According to Suntech not every component undergoes the IQC program; suppliers which fulfil the

following requirements, are considered to have a sufficient in-house QC that another IQC

performed by Suntech is not necessary.

1. there is no batch with unconformities for a continuous 3 month period in the production

line;

2. there is no lot rejected for a continuous 3 month period during the incoming inspection;

3. the average VLRR (verified line reject rate) can meet the target for a continuous 3 month

period;

4. For new product types and inspection items from a supplier the requirements for the IQC

can be adjusted individually

Suntech obtains PV cells in addition to their own production from various manufacturers; the cells

from their own manufacturing facilities, which are opposite of the module factory, undergo the

same IQC program as all other cells. The IQC program has been provided in editable form and is

described in Table 20 below.

We were informed that only cells manufactured in Suntech’s own facilities are used for modules

sold on the European market.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 61

Table 20: Checks, inspection method and quality standard of incoming materials

Material Inspection Items Sampling size Criteria and Tolerance

Inspection

Instruments

Cell Appearance and figure GB/T2828 Ⅱ AQL:1.5

1/batch

refer to the technical requirement of

Crystal silicon cell

Visual/Ruler

Size n=5, Ac=0, Re=1

1/batch

refer to the technical requirement of

Crystal silicon cell

Visual/Vernier

Caliper/Plug Guage

Performance AQL 0.065 n=1250; Ac=2;

Re=3

1/batch

average EFF ≥ standard +0.05%,

sampling cell EFF≥“standard-0.05%”

do not allow J or J0

electric sorting

machine

Soldering strength n=2, Ac=0, Re=1;

1/quarter

≥ 300g.f Pull Tester

Micro-crack & internal defect GB/T2828 Ⅱ

micor-crack AQL 0.065 (

n=1250; Ac=2;Re=3);

black heart cell, AQL

0.01n=1250; Ac=0; Re=1)

1/batch

refer to cell inspection work instructions EL tester

Adhesion strength on backside

field

n=2, Ac=0, Re=1

1/quarter

≥20N.cm Pull Tester

Water boiling n=2, Ac=0, Re=1

1/week

1.there is no amass bubble and no

muddy water during testing ,and there is

no dropping, no black and yellow on the

backside field on dry cell after testing;

2.the power decay of cell after water

boiling is ≤1.5%;

Constant

Temperature Water

Boiling Machine;

electrical sorting

machine

Luminous decay n=2；Ac=0；Re=1 mono decay ≤2.0% ; luminous decay


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 62


Inspection

Instruments

1/week poly decay ≤1.0% tester /Electric

Parameter Machine

Soldering ability 2 pcs

1/quarter

area covered solid busbar ≥75%;

area covered spot busbar≥90%;

visual

Backsheet Width (Roll) 1m×2 Roll

1/batch

810mm: -1/+2mm，800mm: -1/+2mm

996mm: -1/+2mm，985mm: -1/+2mm

Joolywood、LG、Cybrid(KPE):0-2mm,

Krempel、Taiflex:0-3mm

Steel Ruler

Thickness 5PCS

1/batch

0.35mm/±0.03mm，

Cybrid(KPE):0.39±0.03mm, Keiwa:0.345

±0.035mm, Zhongnanhuitong: 0.33

±0.03mm, Taiflex:0.368 ±0.03mm, LG,

Joolywood:0.30±0.02mm, Krepel: 0.32

±0.03mm

Micrometer

Length (Sheet)

5PCS

1/batch

Inexact cascade: 1584mm:0/+3mm,

810mm:-1/+2mm

Accurate cascade: 1574mm:-1/+2mm,

800mm -1/+2mm

Ruler

5PCS

1/batch

Inexact cascade: 1486mm: 0/+3mm,

996mm: -1/+2mm

Accurate cascade: 1475mm: -1/+2mm,

985mm: -1/+2mm

Ruler

5PCS

1/batch

Inexact cascade:

1960mm0/+3mm,996mm -1/+2mm

Accurate cascade: 1949mm-1/+2mm,

Ruler


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 63


Inspection

Instruments

985mm -1/+2mm

5PCS

1/batch

Inexact cascade: 1669mm

0/+3mm,996mm -1/+2mm

Accurate cascade: 1658mm -1/+2mm,

985mm -1/+2mm

Ruler

Appearance 1m×2 Roll

1Time/batch

Clean, no Scratch, Creases, Foreign

Bodies on surface

Visual

Peel strength 3PCS

1/2 weeks

Backsheet and EVA: ≥ 40N/cm Pull Tester

Weight 10PCS

1/batch

Toyo：483±48g/m², Isovolta：474 -

35/+63g/m², Cybrid：488±40g/m²、KPE

：510±50g/m²，(BPF325P0)：

440±45g/m²，Zhongnanhuitong：

460±46g/m², Taiflex：504±50g/m²，LG：

429±45g/m²，Krempel：460±46g/m²，

Joolywood：415±40g/m²

Electronic Balance

Tensile strength

5PCS

1/batch

(Cybrid、Toyo、Isovolta、

Zhongnanhuitong、Taiflex、Krempel)）

MD、TD≥300N/CM;

（Isovolta）MD、TD≥400N/CM，（

Krempel）MD、TD≥350N/CM

Pull Tester

Elongation 5PCS

1/batch

(Isovolta、Toyo) MD、TD≥100%，

(Cybrid) MD≥100%、TD≥80%，(Keiwa

、Zhongnanhuitong、LG、Joolywood)

Pull Tester


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 64


Inspection

Instruments

MD、TD≥80%，(Taiflex) MD≥100%、

TD≥90%，(Kremple) MD、TD≥85%

Self-peel strength

（before lamination PVDF&PET）

5PCS / 1/batch(before

lamination);

5PCS / 1/2weeks（after

lamination）


Zhongnanhuitong、Taiflex、Krempel)≥

4N/CM，(Keiwa) ≥4.2N/CM

Pull Tester / COC

Report

self-peel strength

1.PE&PET before and after

lamination

2.PVDF/PET

KPE before lamination

5PCS / 1/batch(before

lamination);

5PCS / 1/2weeks（after

lamination）


Zhongnanhuitong、Taiflex、Krempel)≥

4N/CM，(Keiwa) ≥4.2N/CM

Pull Tester / COC

Report

Size Stability 5PCS/1 batch

(Isovolta、Taiflex、LG、Joolywood) MD

≤1.5%、TD≤1.0%，(Toyo,

Zhongnanhuitong, Krempel) MD, TD≤

1.5%，(Cybrid) MD, TD≤1.5%，(KPE)

MD≤1.5%, TD≤1.0%，(Keiwa) MD, TD

≤1.0%

Steel Ruler

EVA Width 1m×2 Roll

1/batch

SANVIC:standard:+10/0mm;

(STR, First, SVECK):standard :+6/0mm;

Fabro:standard:+8/0mm;

Steel Ruler

Thickness

1m×2 Roll

1/batch

SANVIC:≥0.45mm;

STR:0.46±0.05mm;

First:0.55±0.05mm;

Fabro:0.64±0.05mm;

Thickness Gauge


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 65


Inspection

Instruments

SVECK:0.50±0.05mm

Peel strength

3PCS

1/2 Weeks

Peel strength with backsheet (other

supplier):≥ 40N/cm，> 40N/cm(STR)，

> 50 N/cm (First)

Pull Tester

Peel strength with glass(other suppliers):

≥ 40N/cm，> 40N/cm(STR)， > 50 N/cm

(First)

transmittance 3PCS

1/batch

280-380nm wavelength, VECK 15296≥

65%, SVECK 15297≤15%, First 406（P

）≥80%, First 806（P）≤15%；

380nm~1100nm wavelength (other

suppliers) ≥90%，First F406≥90%,

F806≥85%，SV-15296≥90%, SV-

15297≥85%;

Photoelectric

Instrument fog

Appearance 1m×2 Roll/

1/batch

NO dirt on surface, no wrinkle, no

bubble, clear coining, no other residue

visual

vulcanizing 1part

1/batch

according to work instruction vulcanizing tester

contractibility 5PCS

1/batch

SANVIC: ≤4%(MD)， STR: < 4%(MD)，

First: MD＜4%, TD＜2%， Fabro:≤7.5%,

SVECK:≤3%(MD), ≤2%(TD)

Ruler / Oven

Cross Linking Test 5PCS/1Time/batch (SANVIC, Fabro): ≥80%， (STR, First, Cross Linking

Tester


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 66


Inspection

Instruments

SVECK):ster:≥70%

Junction

BOX

Size 5 sets

1/batch

refer to SOP ruler/ Vernier

Caliper

Appearance 13 sets

1/batch

refer to SOP visual

RY3 performance test 5 sets

1/month

Body sealing insulation resistance: R≥

400MΩ

HIPOT Tester

Box26 performance test 1 set

1/batch

BOX sealing HIPOT Tester

5 sets

1/month

diode positive and negative TEST Multimeter

Frame Size 5PCS

1/batch

refer to SOP Vernier Caliper

External Diameter

Micrometer

Universal Bevel

Ruler

Ruler

Appearance 13PCS

1/batch

refer to SOP visual

Frame hardness 5PCS

1/batch

＞8HW Sclerometer

coating thickness(frame) 5PCS

1/batch

＞12um，and please refer to the GB if

the requirement is not listed in the SOP

Coating Thickness

Tester

hardness of claw 5PCS

1/batch

＞8HW Sclerometer


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 67


Inspection

Instruments

coating thickness(jump ring) 5PCS

1/batch

＞8um，and please refer to the GB if the

requirement is not listed in the SOP

Sclerometer

connecting property between short

frame and claw

5PCS

1/batch

hang the claw with the weight & hold it

still (AL04-1: 20KG, Others: 10KG)

Weight

Surface gap 5PCS

1/batch

refer to SOP Platform + Plug

Guage

Camber 5PCS

1/batch


Guage

Twist 5PCS

1/batch


Guage

Ribbon length 5PCS

1/batch

tolerance:-0.5~+1.5mm Ruler

width 5PCS

1/batch

tolerance:±0.05mm Micrometer

thickness 5PCS

1/batch

Ribbon: (0.01 mm / + 0.02 mm) Micrometer

Busbar: (0.025 mm / + 0.025 mm)

Camber 5PCS

1/batch

Ribbon (Take 300mm to measure from

the roll)＜1%

Ruler + 10x

Magnifer

Ribbon (Fixed dimension) ＜0.7%,

Roll(Take 300mm to measure) ＜1%

Tensile Strength 5PCS

1/batch

Regular ribbon: Rm≥150MPa pull tester

Ultra soft ribbon: Rm≥110MPa

soft ribbon: Rm≥130MPa


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 68


Inspection

Instruments

Busbar: Rm≥ 170 Mpa

Resistance 5PCS

1/batch

≤0.0235Ω·mm2/m Resistance Tester

Elongation 5PCS

1/batch

Regular ribbon: 25% Pull Tester

Ultra sofr ribbon: 15%

Soft ribbon: 15%

Busbar: 15%

Yield strength 5PCS

1/batch

Regular ribbon: 85 Mpa ≤Rp0.2 ≤ 120

Mpa

Ultra soft ribbon: Rp0.2 ≤ 60 Mpa, Soft

ribbon: 60 Mpa ≤ Rp0.2 ≤ 80 Mpa

Pull Tester

Appearance 32PCS X 2 Rolls

1/batch

refer to SOP visual

Toughened

Glass

Length and Width 5PCS

1/batch

Length is between 0 and 2500mm, the

tolerance is: 0~ -2mm

Ruler

Diagonal 5PCS

1/batch

diagonal size < 1000 mm, the absolute

value of diagonal ≤2mm;

Ruler

Thickness 5PCS

1/batch

3.2mm/±0.2

4.0mm/±0.3

Micrometer

Camber 5PCS

1/batch

Total < 3 mm/m;

partial < 0.5 mm / 300 mm

Line + Ruler

Appearance 13PCS

1/batch

refer to SOP visual

Transmittance 5PCS according to the technical agreement of Transmittance


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 69


Inspection

Instruments

1/batch each manufacturer transmittance

judgement

tester

Fragment status 1PCS

1/month

50 mm × 50 mm area, fragment pieces

are more than 40;

visual

ARC glass Appearance 13PCS

1/batch

refer to SOP visual

Film hardness 5pcs

1/month

≥3H Pencil Sclerometer

Adhesion tests of film 5pcs

1/month

≤5％ Grid Scriber

Transmittance 5PCS

1/batch

2.5% AR-Coating:≥94.4% Transmittance

tester


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 70

We have visited the IQC facilities and we have inspected a number of IQC archives which

indicated that the inspections were carried out as outlined above. The laboratories where the IQC

tests are carried out have also been inspected and appeared to be suitable.

We have not been provided with separate SOPs the table above is referring to and therefore we

cannot further comment on these tolerance criteria.

OST has verified the IQC documentation and checked it against industry standards and we

consider the set of tests and inspections to be in line with reasonable market practice and

industry standards.

6.1.1 Polycrystalline cells characteristics

The cells used in the modules under review which are sold on the European market are

exclusively Suntech’s own cells type STP156M 3BB and 4BB. OST was provided with the

datasheets of these poly crystalline cells as outlined in Table 21 below.

Table 21: Polycrystalline cells types and characteristics

Module

type/model

Cell type

/model

Bus-

bars

ISC

(A)

VOC

(mV)

Imp

(A)

Vmp

(mV)

Efficiency

range (%)

of Cell

FF range

(%) of Cell

STP250-20/Wd Suntech:

STP156M

3/4 8.64 621 8.10 523 17.4% -

17.5%

78.80% -

79.00%

STP255-20/Wd Suntech:

STP156M

3/4 8.66 623 8.12 524 17.5% -

17.6%

78.71% -

79.12%

STP300-24/Ve Suntech:

STP156M

3/4 8.66 623 8.12 524 17.5% -

17.6%

78.71% -

79.12%

We note that the separation of the cells according to a 0.1% efficiency range is stricter than

sighted for other manufacturers (generally 0.2% but also at times 0.4%) which should ensure that

consistent quality of the cells and also that a closer range of values for Isc, Imp, Voc and Vmp

across modules of the same power class is maintained (Section 4). The benefit of such

consistency could be found in reduced mismatch losses among strings of modules installed in a

solar park.

We consider the above characteristics to be suitable and in line with good market practice and

industry standard.

6.2 Components storage

All incoming components are stored in different warehouses at the Suntech factory. The first

warehouse we visited is used for the storage of the EVA and the back sheets and the

unconformities of these components in a separated area. This warehouse has controlled

environmental parameters.

The temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) are maintained at 25°C and ≤60% respectively.

The temperature and relative humidity are checked every 12 hours and recorded on a monthly

check sheet kept in the warehouse which is in line with good practice. The temperature and

relative humidity during the factory visit were 25°C and 50% respectively. In addition we have


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 71

sighted inspection sheets recording the ambient temperatures for the months of May and June

and the entire set of records appeared to be within the required levels.

We note that the RH measurement sensors are not connected to permanent monitoring/alarm

system, so if the RH control machines fail the components are in the worst case for 12h in an

uncontrolled environment which influences the material quality.

We would expect a monitoring system and a more regular check period for the two parameters to

be in line with current market standards.

Suntech has provided the technical document for the EVA in Chinese which states that vacuum

sealed packaging is a requirement for the EVA. During our factory visit we could not verify that

the EVA is packaged in vacuum sealed wrapping, which should offer additional protection against

humidity; however, provided the humidity is maintained within the allowed range, this should not

constitute an issue. We cannot however comment on the suitability of the environmental

conditions during transport which should be confirmed as appropriate by the EVA manufacturer.

The EVA has a shelf life of 6 months from shipment (according to the product specifications

provided). In order to ensure that the EVA is not kept in storage for longer than its maximum shelf

life a First In First Out (FIFO) system is in place to encourage effective rotation and utilisation of

the component in the storage area.

Figure 18: EVA/ back sheet storage and temperature / relative humidity control

The cells and different module labels are stored in a warehouse very close to the production line

with controlled temperature.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 72

Figure 19: Cell / label storage and cell IQC approval batch

The other components (such as aluminium frames, glass, etc.) are kept nearby in an adjacent

warehouse with non-controlled parameters.

Figure 20: Components storage

As outlined above, each box of the batches of components achieving a pass in the inspections

outlined in Section 6.1 is labelled with a stamp or a green label and the serial number is recorded

and exported into the SAP system for the traceability of the components in the storage

warehouses before entering the production lines where a Manufacturing Execution System (MES)

control software is used.

We consider the storage facilities to be in line with our expectations.

6.3 Module manufacturing process

The module manufacturing is divided into two separate buildings containing several separate

production lines of similar type. One production line consists of four cell stringing machines, four

laminators and one framing station with junction box mounting and module testing facility.

We have visited one of the semi-automated lines (automatic tabbing) lines during our visit. All

processes, are identical in the different lines, however, machines may be supplied by different

manufacturers.


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The factory workshops are operational 24/7. Staff are split in two shifts of 12 hours each with one

hour break.

The workshops were under positive pressure to prevent dust ingress; temperature and humidity is

also controlled. Protective equipment is worn by all staff, including hair protector, Suntech

uniform consisting of trousers and shirt and antistatic gloves and shoes. Visitors are given hair

and shoe protectors before entering the workshops which is in line with good practice.

The following sections describe the manufacturing and quality process, as witnessed on site, from

preparation of the components through to the finished packed product.

6.3.1 Quality inspection during production

Suntech has provided a number of editable documents which outlined the Quality Control Plan

(QCP) whose purpose is to outline the quality inspections to be undertaken during each of the

steps forming part of the manufacturing processes. The QCP specifies the control requirements

of the company for the inspection and test of the products and semi-finished products. The

program outlines the responsibilities for each department and staff. Additional comments on the

inspections performed during productions are outlined in the following sections.

Additional documentation was provided, as follows:

A Quality Control Plan outlining, for each production process, the product/process

specifications/tolerance, inspection methods and frequencies, staff responsibilities,

recording methods and actions upon identification of non-compliances with

specifications/tolerances

Inspection standards for a number of processes including EL testing

We have reviewed the documentation above and we have included comments on its contents in

the description of each of the production processes in the following sections.

6.3.2 Traceability

In order to assess the traceability of the individual components and materials to the final product,

a method using serial numbers is employed. An example of this method was examined for a

STP250-20/Wd module which was undergoing final testing during the factory visit. The serial

number associated with this module was STP 0B6514305010032414. The serial number can be

broken down into five separate parts which all contribute to the overall traceability of the module.

These are explained below in the following:

The initial 0 indicates the Wuxi manufacturing facility.

B65 is an indicator of the exact module type

1430501 is the production order

003 is a serial number with that production order

24/14 displays the week/year of manufacture

It is understood that at the time of the site visit, the only way to trace the specific batch or delivery

of a component used in a particular production order is to follow through the company’s manual

goods-in records. This could be improved by integrating goods-in records with the ERP system.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 74

6.3.3 Material preparation

Material preparation is undertaken in the same building where the manufacturing lines are

located. A complete description of the processes used for each item and the product

specifications/tolerances of each item were provided by Suntech and are outlined in Table 22.

Specifications and tolerances appear comprehensive; we note however that a number of items

refer to meeting various requests, e.g. technology, production sheets, etc. While these appear

appropriate, it should be confirmed that staff undertaking these inspections are aware of the

specifications of these requests.

During our site visit we sighted the preparation of the EVA and the back sheet which consists of

the package removal and the cutting of both components to the appropriate module size.

Therefore the components are taken from the warehouse with controlled parameters to the raw

material preparation area close to the production lines. According to Suntech the maximum

storage time before the material is cut is 12h. The temperature and relative humidity in the raw

material preparation area are controlled and checked and recorded regularly. According to the

label on the EVA packaging box of SVECK the material has to be stored at a temperature below

25°C; the records of the preparation area showed temperature values of up to 30°C. However,

we have sighted written confirmation from SVECK that the EVA can be stored up to 30°C and a

RH below 70%.

We have sighted the records for the month of June and confirm that these values were not

exceeded. Further records for the previous months should be provided for review to verify the

appropriate parameters for a longer term.

Figure 21: Raw material storage area and EVA / back sheet cutting process

We consider the raw material storage area and the raw material preparation process as in line

with market standards.


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Table 22: Material preparation description

Product/Specification/ Assess and

measure

Sample

(operator) Sample(QC)

Tolerance Frequency Frequency

Ribbon

size refer to SOP template

and ruler

5pcs/h 3pcs/12h adjustment

curve refer to SOP template

and ruler

5pcs/h 3pcs/12h tracing,

separated and

correct

copper leakage not allowed visual 5pcs/h NA tracing,

separated and

correct

Interconnect poor soldering not allowed visual 100% NA tracing,

separated and

correct

non-90° angle not allowed visual 100% NA tracing,

separated and

correct

soldering area ＞70% visual 100% NA tracing,

separated and

correct

EVA dirty not allowed visual 3pcs/4h/mac

hine

NA tracing,

separated and

correct

more than 12 h after

opening the package

not allowed visual 3pcs/4h/mac

hine

NA tracing,

separated and

correct


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 76


measure

Sample



wrong material no.

written by preparation

station


hine

NA tracing,

separated and

correct

appearance clean, no scratch, no yellowish, no

foreign matter

visual 5pcs/4h/mac

hine

3pcs/12h return

size refer to SOP ruler 5pcs/4h/mac

hine

3pcs/12h/ma

chine

adjustment

Backsheet scratch not allowed visual 3pcs/4h/mac

hine

NA tracing,

separated and

correct

dirty not allowed visual 3pcs/4h/mac

hine

NA tracing,

separated and

correct

wrong material no.

written by preparation

station


hine

NA tracing,

separated and

correct

appearance clean, no scratch, no yellowish, no

foreign matter

visual 5pcs/4h/mac

hine

3pcs/12h return

size refer to SOP ruler 5pcs/4h/mac

hine

3pcs/12h/ma

chine

adjustment

Cell fragment before

unpackage

not allowed visual 100% NA tracing,

separated and

correct

Glass scratch on glass L＜5mm,W＜1mm,Q≤4； visual 3pcs/4h/mac NA tracing,


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measure

Sample



L：5-10mm,W＜1mm,Q≤2；

L：10-25mm.W＜1mm,Q≤1；

L＞25mm,W大＞1mm,not allowed；

hine separated and

correct

breakage not allowed visual 3pcs/4h/mac

hine

NA tracing,

separated and

correct

dirty on glass not allowed visual 3pcs/4h/mac

hine

NA tracing,

separated and

correct


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6.3.4 Back sheet and EVA preparation

The first process is the preparation of the back sheet and the EVA encapsulation. These

components are manually loaded into the cutting machines and subsequently arranged into

stacks ready to be used. The material preparation area is located in the workshop in a separate

temperature and humidity controlled area. The required levels as given by Suntech are a

temperature between 20°C and 30°C and relative humidity below 60%. The environmental

parameters of the preparation area are checked regularly and recorded on a check sheet

mounted on the wall.

Figure 22: Raw material storage area and EVA / back sheet cutting process

Once cut, the EVA can only reside in the manufacturing area for a short period in order to avoid

compromising the material which can lead to the likelihood of ‘browning’ during the PV module’s

lifetime. Suntech staff stated that the maximum storage times allowed at this stage is 12 hours;

we consider that this period is within market standard for EVA handling arrangements. The

opening and cutting times of the EVA are logged and the stack of cut EVA is delivered to each

production line when the last stack has been utilised to ensure that the first cut is the first used.

The ‘Quality Control Plan’ content for the preparation of the EVA and back sheet materials is

outlined in Table 22 above.

6.3.5 Cell tabbing/soldering and stringing

Suntech use cells from various manufacturers for their modules but for one module only cells

from one manufacturer are used. The sticky label with the serial number of each box of cells is

scanned and subsequently attached to the digital BOM sheet, which is generated for each

module.

The range of efficiencies and other electrical characteristics of the cells can be seen in Section 3

and Section 6.1.1.

We have been provided with the Quality Control Plan outlining the ‘sorting of solar cell’

processes, which is described in Section 6.1.

There are 49 automated tabbing machines from six different manufacturers in the facility visited.


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In the automated lines cells are manually placed into the tabbing machine, ensuring that only

cells from the same type are used for the production of one module. The barcode of each box of

cells is scanned and added to the digital BOM of each module, guaranteeing the traceability of

the component.

Each cell is moved within the tabbing machine via air suckers to minimise stress on the cell

material. Each cell is tested with infrared (IR) thermography to check for defects and

automatically sorted out if non conformities are detected. Otherwise they are aligned to form the

strings of the required length.

Depending on the cell type and the ribbon the cells are pre-heated to approximately 175°C to

reduce the thermal gradient through the cell during soldering, depending on the tabbing machine;

this is indicative of good practice and ensures that the ribbon is properly soldered to the cells.

Smoke from the process is removed via the fume extraction included in the machine.

The heated cells are then placed on a metal guide, which has the following uses:

To ensure the appropriate location of solder on the cell

To ensure the appropriate spacing between the cells

To apply light pressure to the solder onto the cell during the soldering process.

Light weight ceramic hold-down pins are included in the induction solder head to hold the ribbon

in place during the soldering process. No additional contact is put on the cells.

We have sighted different tabbing machines working with different soldering temperatures

between 215°C and 370°C, depending on the ribbon used. We note that a soldering temperature

of 370°C is very high; we have not been provided with the data sheets for the ribbon and can

therefore not confirm the appropriateness of different temperatures.

Figure 23: Automatic tabbing/stringing machine


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Figure 24: Automatic tabbing/stringing machine

The control method includes both visual inspections and specific tests to ensure quality of the

tabbing is uniform and of a good standard on each of the automatic tabbing/stringing lines. We

have not been provided with the SOP referred to for a number of Product/Specification/Tolerance

(see Table 23) and thus we cannot comment on the suitability of these specifications.

Visual inspections are carried out on the out-going tabbed cells and strings of the automatic

tabbing/stringing stations. Strings are lifted with suckers and checked on the station (Figure 25).

Figure 25: String checks

The Quality Control Plan for the automated tabbing/stringing processes is outlined in Table 23

below. We have not been provided with the specifications/tolerances which refer to the SOP and

cannot further comment on the soldering parameters

Apart from the comments above, we consider the control method and frequency outlined above

to be sufficiently thorough and in line with good market practice and industry standard.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 81

Table 23: Automatic soldering / stringing

Item Control Items

Control method

Take actions

Product/Specification/To

lerance

Assess and

measure

Sample (operator) Sample(QC)

Frequency Frequency

Pull tester Pull strength >300gf Pull tester NA Once per shift Mark and

segregate

soldering

quality

Welding Quality

Tin area on

Every welding point should

be covered by tin,and the

area must be > 50%

Visual 100% 8Pcs/1Time/1

2h

Mark and Rework

deviation in

frontside

soldering

≤0.5mm(the exposure of

busbar at each side is

counted from the 5th finger

line)


2h

Mark and Rework

deviation in

backside

soldering

≤0.5mm Visual 100% NA Mark and Rework

Poor soldering Do not allow Visual 100% 2Pcs/1Time/6

h

Mark and Rework

Crack Do not allow Visual 100% NA Mark and Rework

the distance

between cell

1.5~2.5mm Visual 100% NA Mark and Rework

scratch on the

cell

visible length ≤10mm,the

number of scratch cells in

the same module ≤

3pcs,the number of

scratch in a cell≤1pc

Visual 100% NA Mark and Rework


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Item Control Items

Control method

Take actions

Product/Specification/To

lerance

Assess and

measure

Sample (operator) Sample(QC)

Frequency Frequency

automatic

soldering

parameters

automatic

soldering

parameters

according to SOP Visual 1Time/1week/Machi

ne

NA Mark and

segregate

soldering

machine clean

soldering

machine clean

according to SOP Visual 2Time/2Day/Machin

e

NA Mark and

segregate


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6.3.6 Soldering, EVA and back sheet lay-up

Strings exiting the tabbing machines are then arranged manually on the glass / EVA already

prepared (Figure 26).

Each string is re-checked by the workers and thin sticky tape is placed between the strings to

hold them in place during lamination. Bus-bar contacts are then placed to join the cell strings

which are hand soldered by the operators (Figure 27). At this stage, the batch number of the

EVA, the back sheet and the glass is scanned and recorded onto the digital BOM file for

traceability of each component.

Figure 26: Manual string layup Figure 27: Bus bar soldering

We have been provided with the Quality Control Plan outlining the ‘Layout and bus bar soldering’

processes, which include visual inspections and other measurements on soldering of the bus

bars and layout of glass, EVA and back sheet, as shown in Table 24 below.


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Table 24: Lay up process – Quality Control Plan

Items Control Items

Control Method

Take

actions Product/Specification/Tolerance

Assess

and

measure

Sample(operator) Sample(QC)

Frequency Frequency

Appearance

check

Soldering appearance Crack cell, incomplete soldering,

exposure of busbar, foreign objects etc.


h

Mark

and

rework

Cell string distance between strings distance is between 1 and 3mm Visual 100% Once per

shift

Mark

and

adjust

Polarity Polarity of cell string The voltage indicator shows the positive

movement

Multimeter 100% Once per

shift

Mark

and

rework


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We note that right after the layup and before lamination an intermediate EL test is performed on

some of the modules which is not mentioned in the previous table. We received confirmation that

from July 2014 100% of the modules will undergo the EL test at this stage. We consider the EL

test as a part of the lay up process and suggest to update the requirements accordingly.

We consider visual checks on the module from both sides before lamination as market standard.

According to the QCP visual checks on the front of the module are performed according to the

SOP at this stage (‘middle check’) and unconformities are recorded. We note that we did not

witness these checks during our factory visit and were not provided with the SOP of this process.

Should any defect be found at this stage, the actions outlined in the last column of the table

above are carried out which we consider suitable. If for example a cell is detected to be defective

it is manually replaced with a cell from the same batch.

Figure 28: BOM for traceability of each

component – barcode scan

Figure 29: Polarity check

Figure 30: EL testing before lamination Figure 31: EL result

Following the layout, the totality of the strings is tested regarding the polarity (Figure 29).

After that the majority (from July 2014 on the totality) of the fully stringed but not laminated

modules is mechanically elevated to the EL (Electroluminescence) tester (Figure 30). There are

21 EL testers in total on the lines with more to be installed; most of them are used for inspections


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 86

prior to lamination, the rest for inspections once the module is finished before undergoing flash

testing.

The EL testing before the lamination is performed in order to spot unconformities in the material

at a point of the production process where defect cells can still be exchanged. Detection of

unconformities after lamination result in the loss of the whole module.

We consider the intermediate QC regarding EL testing of the totality of the modules as described

above as market standard.

The EL testing quality control is undertaken by a human operator in accordance with an

inspection document with allowed/not allowed criteria. We have been provided with a document

entitled “EL inspection standard” which details the quality control for the EL testing; we note that

pictures of the defects are included both in the document and also located on the EL tester

machines to aid the operator in assessing the EL testing results. We have been advised by

Suntech staff that all personnel in charge of EL testing are qualified and trained at the machine.

The following table outlines the checks that are included in the EL inspection standard document.

Although no documentation was provided, Suntech has specified that the EL inspection

standards outlined in Table 25 refers to the EL testing post-lamination while none of the defects

described are allowed pre-lamination. If a defect is identified at this stage, then the defective cell

is removed and the module is reworked. Suntech has stated that the defective cell is replaced

with a cell from the same manufacturer with the same efficiency and colour.

We note that minor defects are generally allowed post-lamination and consider the list below to

be exhaustive and in line with market standard. In addition we point out that, as described in

Section 4.1.3, no significant micro-cracking was evident in the modules tested by IPSol which

were randomly selected by OST.

Staff informed us that the EL camera is inspected on a daily basis. Additional maintenance

schedules were not provided for review. It should be confirmed that the maintenance frequency

and checks are in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Pictures files of each module taken with the EL machine are saved and linked to the barcode of

each module.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 87

Table 25: EL inspection standard- post lamination

Item Defect Description Criteria Example of defect

1 Dark cell Not permitted

2 Cell micro crack Not permitted if number of cells with micro

crack > 3 per module

3 Crack – Edge Not permitted if > 5% of cell area inactive and

if > 3 cells / module affected


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Item Defect Description Criteria Example of defect

4 Crack – within cell Not permitted if > 5% of cell area inactive and


5 Cell – parallel (run through the

whole cell)

Not permitted if > 5% of cell area inactive and


6 Cracks – crossed together Not permitted


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6.3.7 Lamination

92 laminators from four different manufacturers are installed in Suntech’s production facility to set

the EVA. Depending on the EVA used for the module the lamination process is set to different

pressures, temperatures and times for vacuum and air inlet process. The parameters were

determined empirically and are as follows:

Vacuum: Time: 270s < t < 290s, Temperature: 145°C < T < 147°C

Air inlet: Time: 50s Temperature: 145°C < T < 147°C

Vacuum pressure: 850mbar

We note that these parameters are confirmed each quarter by choosing modules and performing

certain reliability tests on them. Suntech has confirmed that no unconformities due to the

lamination were found so far. OST considers this methodology as a satisfactory method to

regularly verify these parameters.

Figure 32: Laminator and monitoring system

The laminators are installed with condensate removal pumps to expel the fumes given off by the

EVA lamination. We were informed by staff that maintenance on the laminators is carried out

regularly weekly, monthly, semi-yearly and yearly. We have not sighted any maintenance logs

during the visit and we note that it should be confirmed that the maintenance frequency and

checks are in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines.

We have been provided with the Quality Control Plan outlining the ‘Lamination’ processes, as

outlined in Table 26 below. The list in the table below includes a number of checks undertaken on

the laminators parameters (e.g. Temperature and Leakage), specific tests that modules undergo

following lamination.

According to Suntech certain tests like a pull test between EVA and the glass (quarterly) or the

silicone filling of the junction box for the adhesion between junction box and back sheet (100%)

are performed regularly; however, are not included in the Lamination – Quality Control Plan. Also

appearance tests are performed according to the ‘self-inspection for lamination process’ in order

to detect defects like cell crack, bubbles dirt and de-lamination. Any defects found during the self-

inspection are recorded by the operator. We consider the tests performed at this stage as stated

by Suntech as satisfactory; however, we note that these tests and their quality criteria should be

added to the QCP.


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We note that after the lamination process with the laminator from Meier Group the back sheet of

the module exhibited some inconsistencies in its surface (Figure 33). Suntech explained this

phenomenon during the factory visit, the reason being the nature of the laminator. Suntech

confirmed that quarterly reliability tests on the module show no impact on the module

performance.

Figure 33: Inconsistencies in the back sheet after lamination


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Table 26: Lamination - Quality Control Plan

Item Control Items

Control Method

Take actions

Product/Specification/

Tolerance

Assess and

measure

Sample


Frequency Frequency

Lamination

running status

Daily check Refer to the check items &

parameters

Checksheet Once per shift Once per shift Mark and

adjust

Dynamic temperature Refer to process parameters Dynamic

temperature

tester

Once per

quarter

NA Mark and

adjust

EVA Cross linking ≥70% Cross linking

tester

NA Once per 7

days

Mark and

segregate


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6.3.8 Framing and junction box assembly

Trimming of the modules is done manually in an area adjacent to the laminators.

A factory worker places silicone glue in the aluminium frames which are then placed on the

corners of the modules and inserted in a press. Following this the frame is auto-compressed,

excess glue, the frame protection foil is removed and the junction box is applied, sealed and

soldered manually.

The Suntech production facility has 53 framing machines; according to the factory staff the

framing is the bottle neck of the module production.

Figure 34: Frame gluing Figure 35: Junction box assembly

The manual assembly of the junction box is common within large PV module manufacturers. To

seal the junction box it gets filled up with silicone glue after its assembly (potting).

We have been provided with the Quality Control Plan outlining the ‘Framing’ processes, as

outlined in Table 27 below. We consider the checks and tolerances for framing and junction

boxes described below to be adequate and in line with market standard.

After the framing and junction box assembly the modules are stacked upside down on pallets and

stored for curing for at least 6h at a controlled temperature of 25°C in the production hall. We

consider the curing period to be sufficiently long and in line with market standards.

Table 27: Frame quality control plan

Module frame Criteria

1.1 Tolerance of physical length (L) /

width (W)

± 2mm of specified L / W on the data sheet

1.2 Tolerance of diagonal / square (D) ± 4 mm of D of specified L / W on the data sheet

calculated with the formula:

𝐷 = √𝐿2 +𝑊2


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Module frame Criteria

1.3 Sharp corners / burrs Not permitted

1.4 Frame deformations (concave) depth<2mm, length<10mm, area<2mm²

1.5 Frame edge misalignment / gap front side: <0.3mm,

outboard part for backside drainage holes:

<0.6mm,

inboard part for backside drainage holes: <0.9mm

1.6 Frame scratch The surface of scratch does not have the sense of

touch: <50mm (did not show the alloy layer); Not

permitted (show the alloy layer)


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6.3.9 Module cleaning and testing

After the curing period the lid is put on the junction box and the modules are manually lifted to the

EL test machine, thereby being turned. Before the EL tests are performed the modules are

cleaned with alcohol and the remaining frame protection foil is removed. We note that the

modules are cleaned horizontally which requires extra care from the factory workers to not

damage the modules. It appeared that the staff is aware of that.

Figure 36: Module cleaning, EL testing

machine

Figure 37: EL picture

Following the cleaning, the final EL testing is undertaken on 100% of the modules in one of

Suntech’s 21 EL test machines with the tolerances outlined in Table 25 in Section 6.3.6 which as

stated previously we consider appropriate and in line with our expectations. Before each electrical

test the barcode of each module is scanned in order to save the test results to each module serial

number.

According to the outcome of the EL testing each module is grouped by qualified staff into different

grades, A1, B and rejected. We were informed that only grade A1 modules are sold on the

European market. According to company staff, the rate for grade B modules is very low (<0.1%)

and the rate for rejected modules is even lower.

For more information about the EL test and the quality control parameters please refer to Table

25 in Section 6.3.6.

After the EL test, a high potential test is performed on the modules where a voltage of 3600V is

applied in order to ensure that the module is sufficiently well insulated between current carrying

parts and the frame.

The last stage is a flash test; Suntech uses Class ‘AAA’ solar simulators (Section 5.2) which are

calibrated every four hours. As common practice calibration is in accordance with the procedure

below:

Primary module is calibrated and certified every year

Secondary module is calibrated every three months using the primary module

Flash tester is calibrated every four hours with the secondary module

The scope and frequency of final testing is comprehensive, with all IEC mandatory and

recommended tests performed on 100% of modules. The equipment was correctly used and


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 95

properly calibrated. A third level of reference module (potentially to perform ‘round robin’ type

checks across all flashers) could be introduced to improve flasher calibration, but the weekly

checks on the reference module witnessed showed no greater than 0.2% change in Pmpp since

its previous calibration.

The calibration procedure is in line with our expectations and with current market standards.

Standard Test Condition (STC) specifies a cell temperature of 25°C and an irradiance of 1,000

W/m2 with an air mass 1.5 (AM1.5). While the second and the third parameters are achieved

within the flash tester, common practice before flash testing is to store the modules in a room at

constant temperature of 25°C in order to achieve the required STC condition.

All above described tests are performed in the production hall which has a controlled temperature

of 25°C.

Table 28 below outlines the ‘Testing – Quality Control Plan’.

Figure 38: Flash tester and resulting module IV curve

Figure 39: Controlled temperature in the production hall


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Table 28: Electrical testing quality control plan

Process Item Control Items

Control method

Take actions

Product/Specification

/Tolerance

Assess and

measure

Sample


Frequency Frequency

Electric

Paramater

Testing

Isolation &

Grounding

tester

Isolation

testing

3600V Isolation &

Grounding tester

100% Once per

shift

Mark and

segregate

Grounding

testing

30A Isolation &

Grounding tester

100% Once per

shift

Mark and

segregate

Flash tester Calibration Current: ±0.8%

Power: ±0.3%

2nd standard

module

NA Three times

per shift

Mark and

segregate

Temperature 25±2℃ IR sensor 100% Three times

per shift

Mark and

segregate

EL Testing EL tester EL quality Refer to EL criteria EL tester 100% Once per

day

Mark and

segregate


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 97

6.3.10 Final inspection

At this point an inspection on the finished modules is undertaken. Table 29 below outlines the

inspection on finished products shown in the Final Inspection - Quality Control Plan provided. All

modules are carefully inspected under an illumination of not less than 1,000 lux.

We consider the set of tests and inspections to be in line with good market practice and industry

standard. During our visit we did not witness any modules being rejected during these final visual

checks.

We note that during our visit the average final inspection time per module was between 5 and

10s; we do not consider that all quality controls can be achieved in this time. However, Suntech

has stated that 100% of the modules undergo inspection after each production step before the

module is passed on to the next stage and therefore the given time for the final check is

sufficient.

We consider this comment as valid; however we recommend that the scope for the final

inspection is updated to reflect this.

Table 29: Final inspection – quality control plan

Item Criteria

Module frame

1.1 Tolerance of physical length (L) /

width (W)

± 2mm of specified L / W on the data sheet

1.2 Tolerance of diagonal / square (D) ± 4 mm of D of specified L / W on the data sheet

calculated with the formula:

𝐷 = √𝐿2 +𝑊2

1.3 Sharp corners / burrs Not permitted

1.4 Frame deformations (concave) depth<2mm, length<10mm, area<2mm²

1.5 Frame edge misalignment / gap front side: <0.3mm,

outboard part for backside drainage holes:

<0.6mm,


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 98

Item Criteria

inboard part for backside drainage holes: <0.9mm

1.6 Frame scratch The surface of scratch does not have the sense of

touch: <50mm (did not show the alloy layer); Not

permitted (show the alloy layer)

Solar cells

2.1 Cracked cell Visible crack of one cell in one module: Not

permitted

2.2 Cracked cell – corner of the cell Maximum size ≥ 2 x 2mm not permitted;

Triangular type is not permitted.

2.3 Cracked cell – edge of the cell Maximum size ≥ 10 x 0.5mm not permitted;

Triangular type is not permitted.

2.4 Solar cell alignment Cell-Cell Distance between two cells: 1~3mm; Distance

between two strings: 1~4mm. (refer to the

Appendix)

2.5 Solar cell alignment Cell-Module Distance between the cell edge and the frame

inner edge: ≥ 4mm. (refer to the Appendix)

2.6 Screen print failures Maximum grid finger interruption: ≤ 1mm,

quantity≤ 10 per cell.

2.7 Soldering / Stringing Maximum displacement of soldering position: ≤

0.8mm

2.8 Cell colour Not permitted to mix dark and light cell colors in

one module

Laminate

3.1 Bubbles On the cells: less than 3 bubbles ≤ 2.5mm

diameter permitted. > 2.5mm diameter not

permitted


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 99

Item Criteria

3.2 Delamination Not permitted

3.3 Foreign items inside the laminate ≥ 4mm² area not permitted

3.4 Delamination on the back sheet Not permitted

3.5 Damage of back sheet Damage of the back sheet layer not permitted

3.6 Dents Allowed for dents with the depth >0.3mm:

quantity< 15 per module, area ≤ 100mm².

Glass

4.1 Scratch on the glass surface surface scratch with a length of ≥50mm not

permitted

4.2 Broken glass Broken glass without external impact not permitted

Sealing

5.1 Silicone residue on glass surface ≥ 5 spots per module with diameter >5mm not

permitted

Junction box

6.1 Junction box detached Gap between Junction box and back sheet not

permitted

6.2 Junction box misplaced Junction box placed in parallel to the upper frame;

oblique placing with the different distances

between the two edge body of J-box top-side to

the top frame edge is ≥ 8mm, not permitted

6.3 Damaged cables / connectors Not permitted

6.4 Cable length tolerance ± 10mm of specified length on the data sheet

6.5 Incorrect connectors 2 connectors of same polarity on one module not

permitted

6.3.11 Packaging

After the final inspection the modules receive their nameplate label with the module data

according to the flash test results. During the visit the modules produced were the STP 250-

20/Wd. According to the flash test result the modules were stacked on different piles for 245Wp,

250Wp and 255Wp and labelled with the corresponding nameplate label.

Flash tested modules are labelled and then stacked onto pallets horizontally before being stacked

vertically in boxes of 28 adjacent to the final inspection area. We note that stacking the modules


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 100

horizontally can lead to damages and we suggest that Suntech should consider stacking the

modules directly in a vertical position to reduce the risk of damage.

Figure 40: Stacked and packed modules

We were provided with a QCP for packaging which states that appearance and the labels are

checked for every package on 100% of the packages.

We note that the ‘requirements’ outlined above should be better defined as we consider this level

of detail will not inform the operator on the level of accuracy required. However, Suntech has

stated that a detailed inspection document is issued in their IBMS for packaging which includes

the inspection items, inspection frequency, inspection tool, and judgment criteria. Additionally all

responsible staff is trained on the job and informed about the quality requirements of packaging.

OST has not been provided with this document for review and as such cannot comment on the

suitability of the inspection terms.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 101

6.4 Test facilities at Suntech

The Suntech internal Test Laboratory is ISO 17025 accredited by CNAS with its scope of

accreditation encompassing the whole of IEC 61215, IEC 61730 and UL 1703. It also carries

CSA certification for UL 1703 and is in the VDE Test Data Acceptance Program for IEC 61215

and IEC 61730. The laboratory can also perform a salt mist test to IEC 61701 and junction box

testing to IP65 and IP67. EVA cross-linking and rip-off tests are undertaken in-house. The

company has four outdoor test sites, two in Wuxi, one in western China and one in Phoenix,

Arizona.

Calibration of production flash testing reference modules from primary reference modules is

undertaken on the laboratory’s AAA flash solar simulator, as is assessment for drift. This device is

due to be upgraded to a Pasan A+A+A+ in the near future. PID testing is undertaken at both

60°C/85%RH and 85°C/85%RH, for both R&D and production QA purposes. Four modules per

month are sampled from production for PID testing, with consistent passes at the 60°C/85%RH

level as demonstrated by the records provided.

16 modules of two different types are sampled from production per quarter to go through damp

heat, TC200, humidity freeze and hotspot testing. The Q1 2014 Reliability Test Report (ref. TC-

14-C-0037, issued 24th April 2014) was provided in evidence. It was stated that this is now being

increased to 24 modules of 3 types per quarter. The company also performs ‘double IEC’

chamber testing i.e. TC400 etc. as well as chamber testing to destruction, for R&D purposes.

The Suntech Test Laboratory is comprehensively equipped and carries a significant amount of

third party accreditation according to ISO 17025, as well as R&D and pre-qualification testing.

Samples are routinely taken from production for PID, accelerated lifetime and hotspot testing.

This is a significant asset in terms of the QA/QC provision within the Suntech production facility

and is of a gold standard level for the industry.

No record or judgement is made with respect to defects other than microcracks and dark cells

visible with electroluminescence imaging, such as finger interruptions and cell mismatching.

Broadening the Electroluminescence Test to incorporate mismatching and cell production defects

would improve the effectiveness of this step in controlling quality, especially when third party cells

are in use.

We consider the testing facilities of Suntech to be appropriate and above market standards. We

note that not many manufacturers can offer this thorough in-house testing and thus this is a

positive indication of their QA processes.

6.5 Training

As part of Suntech’s 2014 training plan, we understand that production operatives are trained on

specific technical tasks against the relevant standard operating procedure. Suntech has

allocated three members of their staff to perform the manufacturing line training. These

personnel are understood to be ‘trained trainers’ that have been assessed and deemed

competent to perform this function. An automatic solder training report for one particular

operative was provided in which details of the individual tasks assessed against were outlined.

This report was also noted to be signed off by the trainer, line-manager and HR representative.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 102

In order to maintain the required level of competency, an annual retraining program, incorporating

an examination of knowledge and skills is to be carried out. The frequency of training and

assessment of EL operatives is to be increased to once a month. It is understood that the

company does not utilise contract or temporary staff, resulting in no separate provision being

made in this regard. Suntech has a comprehensive and well-functioning quality system with a

good standard of record keeping. Training and competency assessment of production staff is

well organised and seems to be in good order. Evidence of this was displayed through numerous

documents provided by Suntech such as an email notification of the June 2014 training where

signatures of all attendees and instructor were present.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 103

7 Acceptance in the Marketplace

7.1 Project experience

The Manufacturer provided details of projects that feature modules with similar characteristics to

the three models under review. The table below shows a non-comprehensive list of PV plants that

feature modules with similar characteristics to those analysed in this report. These projects are

detailed in Table 30 below.

Table 30: Project experience list - Suntech

Location

Power

(MWp) Model of module Completion Date

Europe

Greece Piraeus 8 STP240-24/Wd Aug. 2013

Spain Valdecaballer

os

5.15 STP175S-24/Ab 2008

Germany Brandenburg 24 STP270-24/Vd 2010

Germany Kraichtal 0.00817 STP190S-24/Ad+ 2011

Germany n/a 26 STP240-24/Wd 2012

Netherlands Amsterdam 0.1 STP280-24/Vd 2012

Italy Lombardy 0.389 STP205 - 18/Ud 2011

Italy Viarolo 3.8 STP280-24/Vd 2011

Romania n/a 39 STP245-24/Wd 2012

North America

USA Arizona 52 STP290-VRM-1,

STP300-VRM-1

Dec. 2013

USA Nevada 14 STP175S-24/Ab 2007

USA Colorado 8 STP265-24/Vb 2007

USA Arizona 52 STP290-VRM-1,

STP300-VRM-1

2013

Mexico Baja California

Sur

38 STP230-24/Ve Jun. 2013

Asia and Oceania

Japan Kumamoto

PRF

37.5 STP185S-24/Adb+ Jan. 2011

Japan Kumamoto

PRF

0.334 STP290-24/Vd Feb. 2013

Japan Ibaraki PRE 1.7 STP245-20/Wd Aug. 2012

Japan Fukuoka PRF 1.75 STP290-24/Vd Nov. 2012

Japan Fukuoka PRF 6.54 STP290-24/Vd Dec. 2012

Philippines Manila 0.571 STP280 - 24/Vd May. 2012


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 104

Location

Power

(MWp) Model of module Completion Date

Saudi

Arabia

Riyadh 3 STP280-24/Vd Apr. 2013

Israel n/a 11 STP300-24/Ve Apr. 2013

Thailand Ayutthaya 50 STP295-24/Vd Aug. 2013

South

Korea

n/a 40 STP300-24/Vd Apr. 2013

Australia Bundaberg 0.03 STP250-24/Wd Oct. 2012

East China Gulang 50 STP300-24/Vd Jun. 2013

China Suzhou 10 STP250-20/Wd Jun. 2013

China Gansu 20 Pluto275-Vdm, STP280-

20/Wd

Mar. 2013

China Qinghan 10 STP180-24/Ad Dec. 2011

Africa

South Africa Northern

Cape

50 STP290-24/Vd Apr. 2013

South Africa Northern

Cape

50 STP290-24/Vd Apr. 2013

We note that the significant amount of Suntech modules installed on large scale PV plants

globally confirm the acceptance within the European and global market.

Suntech has not provided OST with the details of any project in progress.

7.2 Bankability

Table 31 below outlines a list of projects with the relevant bank finance counterparties utilising

Suntech modules. No details about which modules have been installed or indications about the

due diligence process for the achievement of the bankability have been provided by Suntech.

Table 31: Projects experience list - Suntech

Bank / Financial institution Country of project

UniCredit SpA Italy

Banco Santander SA Spain

Deutsche Bank AG Germany

KFW Germany

Banca Infrastrutture Innovazione e Sviluppo Italy

MPS Capital Services Italy

Unicredit Mediocredito Centrale Italy

We consider that the above list of projects and bank finance counterparties is indicative of

acceptance by a few Europeans countries, however it is not indicative of the general bankability

of Suntech modules in the European and global marketplace.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 105

7.3 Contractors and Developers

Suntech has also provided a list project locations and EPC Contractors and Developers who

have used their modules. The list includes the following:

Table 32: Table of EPC

Location EPC/Developer

Europe

Germany n/a2 n/a

Romania n/a n/a

Greece Piraeus Green Energy

Spain Valdecaballeros SunCarrier a+f GmbH

Germany Brandenburg Solarhybrid AG

Germany Kraichtal Wirsol Solar AG

Netherlands Amsterdam Oskomera Solar Power Solutions

Italy Lombardy SunSystem Spa

Italy Viarolo Enerray S.p.A.

North America

USA Arizona Zachry3

USA Colorado Dev.: SunEdison

USA Nevada n/a

USA Arizona EPC: AMEC

Mexico Baja California Sur n/a

Asia and Oceania

Japan Kumamoto PRF n/a: NTT Facilities, Inc.

Japan Kumamoto PRF n/a: Shin-Idemitsu Co.,Ltd

Japan Ibaraki PRE n/a: West Holdings Corporation

Japan Fukuoka PRF n/a: Shibaura Tokki

Japan Fukuoka PRF n/a: Shibaura Tokki

Philippines Manila n/a: Propmech Corporation

Saudi Arabia Riyadh EPC: Phoenix Solar

Israel n/a n/a

Thailand Ayutthaya n/a: Bangchak Solar Energy

South Korea n/a n/a

Australia Bundaberg n/a: Scott Burke Electrical Pty Ltd.

East China Gulang n/a

2 Suntech has not provided a location or name of EPC/Developer

3 Suntech has not made clear whether the listed company is an EPC or a Developer


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 106

Location EPC/Developer

China Suzhou n/a

China Gansu n/a

China Qinghan n/a

Africa

South Africa n/a Siemens

Suntech has also provided a list of EPC contractors, developers and distributors who have used

their modules. The list excludes the project location.

IBC Solar AG

Enerparc AG

Krannich Solar GmbH & Co. KG

S.A.G. Solarstrom

Energiebau Solarstromsysteme GmbH

Biosar Energy S.A.

Seraphim Solar System GmbH

Cujmir Solar S.R.L.

Sun System S.p.A

Studina Solar S.R.L.

Rexel Renewables

Parabel AG

Enerpoint S.p.A

Vanju Mare S.R.L.

Viessmann Photovoltaik GmbH

Potelu Solar S.R.L.

FR-Frankensolar GmbH

Alternergy Limited

Kuttler Verwaltungs GmbH

BeBa Energie GmbH & Co. KG

Grupotec Tecnologia Solar,S.L.

SunSwitch S.A.

Bihler GmbH & Co. KG

S.P. Green Energy Ltd.

Tritec Logistics GmbH

Natec Sunergy BV

Waxman Energy Ltd.

Sistemi Fotovoltaici.com Srl

Mitsubishi International GmbH

Phoenix Solar AG

The above EPC list is indicative of general acceptance of Suntech modules.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 107

8 Operational Performance

Operational data for one plant where similar Suntech modules (STP XXVe 250, STP XXVe 260,

STP XXVe 270, STP XXVe 280) are installed have been provided by Suntech. The plant in

Puertollano, Spain, has an installed capacity of 52 MWp. The Puertollano project by Renovalia,

was divided into 10MW developments. Subsequently, the performance data from Puertollano,

was collected from a single 10MW section of the plant.

Suntech has provided the operational performance data for the Puertollano PV plant in the form

of a questionnaire from KPMG, answered by Renovalia. This operational performance data

related to the period of January 2009 to December 2009, and the report provided includes energy

production, estimated energy production and Performance Ratio (PR) data.

The details relating to the calculation of the PR and the irradiation data for the Puertollano plant

were not provided. It is unclear whether irradiation data is recorded using reference cells or

pyranometers. OST would typically expect irradiation to be measured using secondary standard

pyranometers.

Table 33: Performance Ratio (PR)

Module Days Expected

Output (kWh)

Actual Output

(kWh)

Difference PR in

2009

STP250, STP260

STP270, STP280

365 18,424,518 16,897,631 9.04% 85.6%

The PR data suggests acceptable performance for this specific plant that uses Suntech modules.

However, specific information about the site such as metrological factors, location of the meters,

technology used including transformers and design of the plant will all affect the overall

performance of the plant. We note that we cannot confirm that the irradiance sensors are installed

appropriately and giving reliable data, so the evaluation of the data cannot provide clear

conclusions on performance of Suntech modules.

We also note that the performance data of the plant is a result of the performance of different

systems. The installation’s annual target was 78.7% and it achieved 85.6%. Although modules

largely contribute to the final performance, in absence of DC tests, and more detailed operational

data, we can only acknowledge that the plant has been operating above expectations.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 108

9 R&D

Information on the R&D projects by Suntech has been provided, however, no specific

documentation on the R&D activities of Suntech has been provided. We understand that Suntech

has been involved in 25 research projects over the past three years. Suntech is engaged with a

leading institution for silicon solar research at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

Suntech and the University of New South Wales jointly-developed PERL cell technology, now

employed on all Suntech Pluto cells and Hi-Performa modules, which set the 2009 world record

for solar conversion efficiency.

Suntech has provided a spread sheet outlining their recent research projects. We understand that

in order to improve the efficiency of PV modules, the following developments are being

researched:

a-Si/micro-Si tandem thin film solar module development

Rear surface silver and aluminium paste development

Over 20% efficiency selective emitter solar cells base on laser doping industrialization set

technology

Sheet resistance uniformity

The roadmap of the new generation low cost high efficiency crystalline solutions to be adopted by

the manufacturer does not confirm actual feasibility of the technical improvements and/or

achievement of the declared goals within a specific timetable.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 109

10 Warranties and Guarantees

10.1 Limited warranty for PV modules

Suntech Power has provided two warranty documents; one that applies globally and a second

that applies only inside the European Economic Area and Switzerland. OST has reviewed the

warranty documentation which applies in Europe, entitled ‘2014 Suntech standard warranty--

Europe’. We note that the warranty document is applied generally to Suntech STP, Pluto and

MSZ PV module series. The warranty covers a wide range of Suntech’s modules and is valid for

modules dispatched from and on the date of 1st January, 2014 and produced between 1st and the

52nd calendar week of the year 2014.

The Manufacturer provides two types of warranties to its customers:

10 year limited product warranty

25 year limited peak power warranty

The Warranty Start Date is the day of sales or 12 months after modules dispatch from the

Suntech factory, whichever occurs earlier. Key points of the warranty conditions are described

below.

10.1.1 Limited product warranty

Suntech offers a 10 year material and workmanship warranty that guarantees that all PV modules

are free from material defects.

If a module is found defective in material, Suntech will, at its sole discretion, repair or replace the

module by a functional module of the same type. If Suntech no longer manufactures the

respective module type, Suntech will either supply a functionally equivalent module of the same

or higher power of a different type or refund the owner with the actual market price.

Any warranty works carried out or payments made do not extend the warranty period. The limited

product warranty is in line with current market standards.

10.1.2 Limited peak power warranty

Suntech provides a standard linear performance warranty discussed below. The output power of

the Suntech warranty is based on the respective datasheet Peak Power at STC4.

Suntech warrants, as a voluntary, independent performance warranty, that each PV module will

exhibit a power output of no less than:

97% of nominal power output for the commencing year,

0.7% maximum decrease from the module’s nominal power output per year, for years two

through twenty-five, ending with the 80.2% in the 25th year after the defined warranty start

date.

4 (a) light spectrum of AM 1.5, (b) an irradiation of 1,000 W/m2 and (c) a cell temperature of 25°C, at right angle

irradiation


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 110

If the output power of the module is below the adjusted nominal power due to defects in material,

Suntech will either repair or replace the module by a functional module of the same type. If

Suntech no longer manufactures the respective module type, Suntech will either supply a

functionally equivalent module of the same or higher power of a different type. Suntech will also

compensate the proven lost profits of the defective module from the day of acknowledgement

against Suntech.

We consider Suntech’s provision to compensate for lost profit of the defective module to be

above common marketplace practice. We also consider the linear performance warranty to be in

line with current market standards.

10.1.3 Warranty exclusions and limitations

Suntech’s warranty only applies to modules under proper use, keeping with the operating

conditions and installation specified in the applicable module datasheet and installation guide.

Warranty claims shall be filed in writing to Suntech within the applicable warranting period,

without exception.

The Manufacturer’s Warranties will not be applied to any modules which have been subjected to:

Mechanical, electric or thermal overload, not in accordance with the conditions of the

respectively applicable datasheet and guide.

Use of unsuitable connectors or service‐parts, inappropriate modifications of the PV‐module.

Incidences caused by the acts of God, such as falling trees or branch breaks, floods,

landslides, violent storms, fire and animals.

Theft, wilful damage or vandalism.

Impairments caused by external effects, such as dirt stains, smoke, damages caused by

salt and by chemicals not explicitly authorized for use on module.

Power outage, surge voltage, lightning, accidental breaking of the PV-module.

Warranty claims will not be honoured if the type or serial number of the modules have been

altered, removed or made illegible.

We understand that the above exclusion of impairments caused by salt, refers to direct module

contact with salt, beyond conditions under the IEC61701 ed. 2, severity 1 test, which the modules

under review have passed. Warranty exclusions and limitations are generally in line with our

expectations.

10.1.4 Claims

To claim a warranty service the customer shall report to Suntech within 10 weeks after becoming

aware of the circumstances that establish a warranty case. The report shall be in writing, sent by

email or fax, and shall include the following:

The name and address of end customer, installer and respective seller.

A copy of the purchase agreement or installation agreement.

A copy of the periodical maintenance reports required by regional regulations or legal

requirements and acceptance protocol of hand over after the installation was finished and

the system connected to the grid with all relevant measured system data.

The module type, serial number(s) and quantity.

Address of place where PV modules have been installed.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 111

A description of the problem; with images in relation to material defects and information on

the PV-generator, inverter and circuitry.

The expected warranty performance and reason for claim.

The return of any module(s) will not be accepted unless prior written authorisation has been given

by Suntech. In a valid warranty claim, Suntech will cover costs associated with testing,

dismounting, transport, repair and mounting not exceeding average regional market costs. we

consider Suntech carrying these costs in the event of a warranty claim places it at the higher end

of current market practice Any replaced modules, which have further use, shall become the

property of the Manufacturer for disposal.

Claims will be deemed invalid and will not be processed if they are not received within the

applicable warranty period.

OST notes that the documents required to file a valid claim may make the claim process complex

for small or micro scale standalone project owners. Such standalone projects may not have

installation agreements, maintenance report and measured system data which are associated

with a grid connected PV plants.

10.1.5 Various

Suntech’s warranty terms do not apply to PV modules marked as “Grade A” or “Grade B” on the

nameplate; for these kind of modules special warranties apply which have not been reviewed in

the scope of this report. The warranty terms apply only to the end customer.

Should a dispute arise over a warranty claim, an independent testing body such as Fraunhofer

ISE, TUV Rheinland or Verbands der Elektrotechnik (VDE) shall be involved to judge the claim

finally. All fees and expense associated with the test shall be borne by Suntech.

Suntech reserves the right to deliver an equivalent module at the same or higher power of a

different type should the defective module model not be in production at the time of the claim. We

do not consider this to be appropriate in terms of differences in power, because those parameters

could be necessary in order to replace properly and successfully the defective modules.

10.2 Warranties and guarantees comparison

The table below shows a comparison of the warranties and power tolerances of several of the

other currently available modules compared above.

Table 34: Comparison of several currently available PV modules

Manufacturer

Nameplate

capacity

tolerance

Workmanship and

Materials Warranty

Performance Guarantee (% of

power output)

Suntech 0/+5% 10 years 1 year/97%, 0.7% degradation

annually, 25 years/80.2%

G1 0/+5W 10 years 1 year/97%, year 2 to 24/0.65%

degradation annually, 25

years/81.4%

G2 0/+5W 10 years 1 year/97%, year 2-24/0.7%

degradation annually, 25


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 112

Manufacturer

Nameplate

capacity

tolerance

Workmanship and

Materials Warranty

Performance Guarantee (% of

power output)

years/80%

G3 0/+5W 10 years 10 years/91.2%, 25 years/80.7%

G4 +/-3% 12 years 1 year/97%, 0.7% degradation

annually, 25 years/82%

G5 +/-3% 10 years 1 year/97.5%, 0.7% degradation

annually, 25 years/ 80.7%

G6 +/-3% 10 years 12.5 years/90%, 25 years 80%



G8 +/-3% 10 years 12 years/90%, 25 years/80%

G9 0/+5W 10 years 1 year/97%, 0.7% degradation

annually, 10 years/ 90%, 25

years/80%

G10 ±5W 12 years 5 years/95%, 12 years/90%, 18

years/85%, 25 years 80%


annually, 10 years/92%, 25

years/83%

G12 +/-2% 10 years 1 year/97%, 0.7% degradation from

second year onwards

G13 0/+4% 10 years 1 year/ 97%, 0.7% degradation


G14 0/+3% 10 years 5 years/95%, 10 years/90%,

15years/87%, 20years/83%, 25

years/80%

G15 +/-5% 5 years 10 year/90%, 25 year/80%

G16 0/+5W 10 years 1 year/97.5%, linear degradation,

25 years/ 80%

We consider the linear peak performance warranty to be in line with current market standards.

We also consider the positive nameplate capacity tolerance at the upper end of market

standards.

Though the acquisition of Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. by Shunfeng Photovoltaic International

Limited was finalised on the 7th of April 2014, Wuxi Suntech will continue to underwrite all the

product and performance warranties for the products manufactured in the past and contracts

entered no matter before or after the start of its restructuring phase on 20th March 2013. The

continuity of warranties on products manufactured in the past was issued in a Customer Warranty

Letter on Manufacturer’s home page on the 18th April 2014.


October 2014 │ 00583 - v2.0 Final 113

10.3 Third party insurance

Suntech provided some informative material on third party insurance from SolarIf to cover

damages on the overall PV plant. The insurance includes the option for Inherent Defect Warranty

for covering further damages or defects on components, when manufacturer’s warranty is not

applicable. The optional inherent defect cover can be taken out up to a maximum period of 20

years. The insurance can be taken out worldwide and Suntech is certified from the 4th May 2013

until the 12th December 2014. Suntech provided the detailed terms and conditions of the third

party warranty, as well as references on the insurance broker and provider.

OST notes that the inherent defect cover only applies to PV-installations of at least 1 MWp.

Based on the nature of the potential insurance arrangements, an insurance advisor should

be engaged by a prospective purchaser to confirm arrangements are appropriate.

10.4 Product Liability Insurance

OST has sighted two product liability Insurance policies stipulated with:

Chubb Insurance (China) Company Limited on 10th March 2014

Yingda Taihe Property Insurance on 1st February 2014 (not applicable to Europe or the

UK)

10.4.1 Chubb Insurance (China) Company Limited

OST has reviewed the Liability Insurance policy taken out with Chubb Insurance (China)

Company Limited, effective from 10th March 2014 and valid until 10th March 2015.

The general liability insurance policy covers bodily injury (on persons or organisations) and

property damage arising out of the solar modules sold worldwide. Damages will be paid by

insurance in case the Manufacturer is legally obliged to pay.

The insurance coverage applies, provided that the occurrence of the damage is not before the

10th March 2014 and the claim is received within the expiry date of the agreement, although

extensions are possible in a list of circumstances. The policy endorsement coverage applies

worldwide.

A complex list of exclusions is reported for the policy that can be briefly summarized as follows:

Damages caused by aircraft products or arising from use of nuclear energy, pollutants,

tobacco, etc.; damages arising from act of terrorism or wars;

Damages connected with use of asbestos or biological agents;

Loss that has to be paid in relation with liability to an existing contract or agreement.

Loss, cost and expenses due to employment related practices or Employer’s liability

towards Employees.

Intellectual property laws and rights violation, enhancement, maintenance of any property.

Expected or intended damages.

The insurance policy has an aggregate premium limit of USD 10,000,000, which is progressively

reduced once a claim is paid, and a limit of USD 10,000,000 for each claim occurrence.

Although the documentation on liability insurance was provided specifically for PV cells, modules

and PV systems, which were all referred to as the ‘Product’, the wording of the document is not


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clear about the underperformance of the ‘Product. In particular, the policy excludes ‘Damage To

Your Product’, where ‘Your Product’ is defined to mean goods or products manufactured by

Suntech. ‘Your Product’ also includes representations or warranties made at any time with

respect to the durability, fitness, performance, quality or use of ‘Your Product’. The policy defines

terms of coverage and exclusions only in a general way and not specifically related with the

Product’s application (e.g.: installation of modules on PV plants, roof-top or ground mounted,

etc.).

10.4.2 Yingda Taihe Property Insurance

Suntech has also provided details of a product liability insurance stipulated with Yingda Taihe

property insurance, with coverage in Japan. OST has not reviewed this product liability insurance

as it is not applicable to Europe or the UK.

We recommend that the terms of the Product Liability Insurance policies are reviewed by an

insurance advisor to confirm that the arrangements are appropriate.


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11 Environmental, Health and Safety Review

This section of the report discusses the findings of our desktop review of Suntech’s

Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) management system, against relevant international

lender Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) guidelines, namely International Finance

Corporation (IFC), World Bank, and the Equator Principles.

In order to manage their investment risks appropriately, project financiers and lending institutions

require their investments to comply with minimum environmental, social and health and safety

standards, and increasingly are seeking to ensure that their funds are ethically used, without

detrimentally impacting on the environment or society in which the project is located.

These standards are principally focussed on the potential impact and mitigation of environmental

and social risks associated with the direct development of projects; however, the standards also

require the responsible sourcing of materials and their supply chain. In general IFC and World

Bank EHS standards and guidelines are used as a benchmark to gauge potential environmental

and social risks, and therefore this review is based on compliance against these.

As presented below, the international standards emphasise the protection of workers and critical

ecological habitats. However, we have also included a more general appraisal against other

elements of these standards.

Suntech has provided OST Energy with the following EHS information:

Annual Reports to the Local Environment Authority (2013 and 2014) – Documents in

Chinese

EIA for cell manufacturing Facilities – Documents in Chinese

2014 Training Plan

ISO 14001

Suntech Group Management Policy

OHSAS 18001 Audit Report

OHSAS 18001 Certificate

Statement from Wuxi Environment Protection Agency – Document in Chinese

Recruitment and Hiring procedure

Training Procedure – Document in Chinese

Worker Organisation List – Document in Chinese

Worker Comments and Complaints Management Procedure

– Child and Young Labour Management Procedure

11.1 International Lender EHS Guidelines

Below is a summary of the principle international lender EHS guidelines that may be relevant for

project financing, based on the following institutions:

IFC/World Bank

Equator Principles

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)


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11.1.1 IFC/World Bank

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused

exclusively on the private sector in developing countries.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution which offers

investment, advisory, and asset management services to encourage private sector development

in developing countries. The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in

Washington, D.C., United States. It was established in 1956 as the private sector arm of the

World Bank Group to advance economic development by investing in strictly for-profit and

commercial projects which reduce poverty and promote development.

The principal IFC guidelines and standards covering environmental, social, and health and safety

relevant to Suntech’s business are as follows:

Policy on Environmental and Social Sustainability (1st Jan 2012): this defines IFC's

commitments to environmental and social sustainability.

Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability (1st Jan 2012): this

defines clients' responsibilities for managing their environmental and social risks.

Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) - General Guidelines (30th April 2007)

EHS Guidelines for Semiconductors & Other Electronics Manufacturing (30th April 2007)

Environmental and Social Review Procedures (15th April 2013); this sets out how IFC

undertakes environmental and social reviews.

IFC Performance Standards identifies the required standards that IFC invested projects should

achieve and is therefore the principal reference document. The Performance Standards consist of

the following:

Performance Standard 1: Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social

Risks and Impacts

Performance Standard 2: Labour and Working Conditions

Performance Standard 3: Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention

Performance Standard 4: Community Health, Safety, and Security

Performance Standard 5: Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement

Performance Standard 6: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of

Living Natural Resources

Performance Standard 7: Indigenous Peoples

Performance Standard 8: Cultural Heritage.

With regards to ‘supply chains’ Performance Standard 1 states the following:

“Where the client can reasonably exercise control, the risks and impacts identification process will

also consider those risks and impacts associated with primary supply chains, as defined in

Performance Standard 2 (paragraphs 27–29) and Performance Standard 6 (paragraph 30)”.

One of the objectives of Performance Standard 2 is to “protect workers, including vulnerable

categories of workers such as children, migrant workers, workers engaged by third parties, and

workers in the client’s supply chain”.

The scope of application of Performance Standard 2 applies to workers engaged by the client’s

primary suppliers (supply chain workers), and specifically it requires the client to apply the

following requirements:


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Where there is a high risk of child labour or forced labour in the primary supply chain, the

client will identify those risks consistent with paragraphs 21 and 22 above. If child labour

or forced labour cases are identified, the client will take appropriate steps to remedy them.

The client will monitor its primary supply chain on an on-going basis in order to identify any

significant changes in its supply chain and if new risks or incidents of child and/or forced

labour are identified, the client will take appropriate steps to remedy them.

Additionally, where there is a high risk of significant safety issues related to supply chain

workers, the client will introduce procedures and mitigation measures to ensure that

primary suppliers within the supply chain are taking steps to prevent or to correct life-

threatening situations.

The ability of the client to fully address these risks will depend upon the client’s level of

management control or influence over its primary suppliers. Where remedy is not

possible, the client will shift the project’s primary supply chain over time to suppliers that

can demonstrate that they are complying with this Performance Standard.

Performance Standard 6, also sets out the following requirements for Supply Chain:

“Where a client is purchasing primary production that is known to be produced in regions where

there is a risk of significant conversion of natural and/ or critical habitats, systems and verification

practices will be adopted as part of the client’s ESMS to evaluate its primary suppliers. The

systems and verification practices will (i) identify where the supply is coming from and the habitat

type of this area; (ii) provide for an on-going review of the client’s primary supply chains; (iii) limit

procurement to those suppliers that can demonstrate that they are not contributing to significant

conversion of natural and/or critical habitats (this may be demonstrated by delivery of certified

product, or progress towards verification or certification under a credible scheme in certain

commodities and/or locations); and (iv) where possible, require actions to shift the client’s primary

supply chain over time to suppliers that can demonstrate that they are not significantly adversely

impacting these areas.”

11.1.2 Equator Principles

The Equator Principles (EPs) is a credit risk management framework for determining, assessing

and managing environmental and social risk in Project Finance transactions. The EPs are

adopted by financial institutions and are applied where total project capital costs exceed US$10

million. The EPs are primarily intended to provide a minimum standard for due diligence to

support responsible risk decision-making.

The EPs are based on the IFC / World Bank Performance Standards on social and environmental

sustainability, as are presented above. The EPFI will only provide Project Finance and Project -

Related Corporate Loans to Projects that meet the requirements of Principles 1 – 10, as follows:

Principle 1: Review and Categorisation

Principle 2: Environmental and Social Assessment

Principle 3: Applicable Environmental and Social Standards

Principle 4: Environmental and Social Management System and Equator Principles Action

Plan

Principle 5: Stakeholder Engagement

Principle 6: Grievance Mechanism

Principle 7: Independent Review

Principle 8: Covenants

Principle 9: Independent Monitoring and Reporting


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Principle 10: Reporting and Transparency.

11.1.3 EBRD E&S Standards and Guidelines

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is a multilateral development

bank, using investment as a tool to help build market economies and democracies in 30 countries

from central Europe to central Asia.

The EBRD adopted its first Environmental Policy back in 1991 and has been periodically

updated. The latest update is the May 2008 Environmental and Social Policy, reaffirming EBRD’s

commitment to ensure that the projects it finances are both socially and environmentally

responsible. The Policy specifies a set of 10 performance requirements (PRs) to which projects

are expected to meet in order to obtain financial support from the EBRD, as follows:

PR 1: Environmental and Social Appraisal and Management

PR 2: Labour and Working Conditions

PR 3: Pollution Prevention and Abatement

PR 4: Community Health, Safety and Security

PR 5: Land Acquisition, Involuntary Resettlement and Economic Displacement

PR 6: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Natural Resource Management

PR 7: Indigenous Peoples

PR 8: Cultural Heritage

PR 9: Financial Intermediaries

PR 10: Information Disclosure and Stakeholder Engagement.

In addition to the above ten Performance Requirements (PRs) that set out the requirements and

standards the EBRD requires of its clients and projects, EBRD has set an Environmental and

Social Procedures (April 2010) which establishes the broad framework which governs how

projects are appraised and monitored by the Bank. Within the Environmental and Social

Procedures, EBRD requires supply chain issues to be considered when defining the scope of

Environmental and Social Due Diligence.

11.2 Suntech’s EHS Management

We have undertaken a review of available information relating to the EHS management system

against the above standards. The findings are presented under the following relevant IFC

Performance Standards categories:

Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts

Labour and Working Conditions

Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention

Community Health, Safety, and Security

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources.

IFC Performance Standards associated with Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement,

Indigenous Peoples, and Cultural Heritage are not considered relevant to this review.

Below is a summary of our findings based on the information provided by Suntech relevant to

EHS management.


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11.2.1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts

Suntech has implemented an Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Management System. The

environmental component of which is based on the ISO 14001 – Environmental Management

System (EMS) standard. The Wuxi City manufacturing facility has been certified as compliant

with ISO 14001 by SGS System Certification on 28th August 2013 (certificate valid until 5th August

2015). Overall, the implementation of an ISO 14001 certified EMS demonstrates adequate

management of environmental risks.

External ISO 14001 audits are undertaken annually. OST has been provided with External Audit

reports to verify the requirements of ISO 14004 from 2013, which recommended certification and

identified no non-conformities, either minor or major at the facility.

Overall, the implementation of an ISO 14001 certified, formal EMS demonstrates adequate

management of environmental risks and meets the IFC Performance Standard 1.

11.2.2 Labour and Working Conditions

Relevant aspects of IFC Performance Standard include:

Child Labour – no employment of children and the identification of all persons under the

age of 18. Children under the age of 18 will not be employed in hazardous work.

Forced labour - no forced labour to be employed

Occupational Health and Safety - provide a safe and healthy work environment.

Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity - employment to be based on the principle of

equal opportunity and fair treatment, and not discriminating.

Grievance mechanism - provide a grievance mechanism for workers to raise workplace

concerns.

Worker accommodation - where worker accommodation services are provided ensure the

provision of basic services. Workers’ accommodation arrangements should not restrict

workers’ freedom of movement or of association.

Of the above the key issue identified with supply chains relates to child and forced labour, and

worker safety.

Suntech has provided OST with documents relating to its Labour Contract and we have been

informed by Suntech that they currently employ no workers under the age of 18. However, whilst

Suntech’s employment policy stipulates that the company will work with interns and students

between the ages of 16 and 18, the document does not state a specific age below which a

person may not be employed, or is regarded as a ‘child’. OST recommends that this is clearly

stated.

With regards to non-discrimination, Chinese Labour laws and government policies include

provisions to promote equal opportunity in employment. Suntech’s Recruitment Policy states that

‘Discrimination against race, ethnic groups, gender, age, nationality, religion and physiology is

forbidden.’ OST is also aware that Suntech’s Wuxi facility’s employees are entitled to become

members of various worker organisations, the names of these have been provided in Chinese

with no further detail on what support or benefits these organisations offer.

Suntech’s Wuxi facility does not provide any worker accommodation. The IFC’s requirements

with regards to ‘the quality and management of the accommodation and provision of basic


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services, under the criteria of ‘Working Conditions and Management of Worker Relationship’ is

not considered for this manufacturer.

OST has not received any documents relating to Suntech’s formal H&S Policy or Management

System. However, the Suntech Wuxi Facility has been certified as compliant with ISO 18001

standards on 3rd September 2013 (valid until 1st September 2016), demonstrating a management

policy that ensures all employees create and maintain a safe and clean environment

Suntech’s has stated that there have been no accidents or incidents at the facility in the past 3

years; OST requests proof in this regard.

We have been provided with a detailed schedule of safety training for workers, as part of the EHS

Management system. OST has also been provided with Suntech’s Training procedure, however,

this document has been provided in Chinese, as such OST is unable to review the depth and

scope of the training provided to employees. The training programmes effectiveness is evaluated

on an annual basis.

Overall, OST considers that, in general, the Suntech Wuxi facility meets with the IFC

Performance Standard 2, with relevance to supply chain. However, we recommend provision of

the incidents and accidents records from the past three years.

11.2.3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention

The EHS Guidelines (for both General and for Semiconductors & Other Electronics

Manufacturing) covers the following environmental aspects:

Air Emissions and Ambient Air Quality

Energy Conservation

Wastewater and Ambient Water Quality

Water Conservation

Hazardous Materials Management

Waste Management

Noise

Contaminated Land.

We have received a copy of the EIA for cell manufacturing facilities, and the Annual

Environmental Reports to the local Environmental Authority from the Suntech Wuxi facility for

2014. However, these documents have all been provided in Chinese, therefore OST is unable to

fully review the information. OST has, however, been informed that all reports state that the

factory meets all government requirements and therefore are in line the IFC Standards with

regards to air emissions, wastewater discharges and waste gas levels. OST has also been

informed that there have been no fines or notifications raised against Suntech’s Wuxi facility from

the Government or Local Authority.

Suntech has confirmed that they comply with environmental laws and legislation, and have

provided a Certificate of Compliance from the relevant local Environmental Protection Authority

for their Wuxi facility in Chinese, which cannot be fully reviewed, however we have been informed

that it confirms that they comply with environmental laws and legislation and that there are no

environmental or administrative penalties for the site.

IFC Environmental and Social Sustainability Performance Standard 3 also includes requirements

for the implementation of technically and financially feasible and cost effective measures for


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improving efficiency in its consumption of energy, water, as well as other resources and material

inputs, with a focus on areas that are considered core business activities.

OST has not received any specific details of efficiency measures that have been implemented at

the Suntech Wuxi facilities, or the quantifiable results this has had in terms of resource efficiency.

Overall we consider that in general the Suntech Wuxi facility meets the requirements of IFC

Performance Standard 3 as relevant for a primary supply chain. However, we request evidence

of having on-going compliance with the relevant Environmental Protection Authority in English, in

addition to providing all relevant documentation with regard to resource efficiencies which have

been implemented on-site.

11.2.4 Community Health, Safety, and Security

The implementation of Suntech’s EHS management system, discussed above, would include the

health, safety and security of the local community. However, it is acknowledged that incidents

can still occur that have the potential to impact the local community.

Suntech has not provided any information demonstrating their support and involvement in

community based (CSR) projects through the provision of outreach programmes, public welfare

and voluntary activities.

Overall we consider that Suntech meets the requirements IFC Performance Standard 4 as

relevant for a primary supply chain. However OST recommends that the Wuxi facility investigates

how they can further involve the local community with specific regard to the promotion and use of

Solar PV, community development and education. We advise demonstrating this standard via

the implementation of a formal CSR policy, which will measure quantifiable benefits to the local

community.

11.2.5 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

We consider that Suntech meets the requirement set out in IFC Performance Standard 6 with

respect to supply chain, since this aspect focusses on agricultural activities and/or the

consumption of natural resources, such as animal husbandry, wood and natural fibres etc.

11.3 Conclusion

Following our review of information provided, we consider that the Suntech Wuxi production

facilities are, in general, in-line with international lender requirements, based on IFC and World

Bank standards, for a primary supply chain.

We recommend that Suntech provides English versions of all requested documentation in order

for a full review to be carried out. We do not require a full translation of the EIA, whowever, if an

English version of the EIA non-technical summary (NTS) is available please provide. We also

recommend that information and company policy regarding continuing efficiency measures is

provided in order to further demonstrate Suntech’s compliance with IFC Performance Standard 3.

OST also recommends that Suntech implements and demonstrates a robust CSR policy at their

Wuxi facility which will measure quantifiable benefits to the local community, with specific focus

on the promotion and use of Solar PV, community development and education.


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