ABOUT ASU-PTL: Birth, Evolution, and Present Status
ASU-PTL Birth
October 21, 1991: Letter from Bob Hammond to Dr. Chuck Backus:
"...Wouldn't you like to have an internationally recognized PV
module qualification facility located at ASU?"
November 25, 1991: Dr. Backus, Dr. Wood, and Mr. Bob Hammond (Fig. 1)
met at Denny's (fast food restaurant) in Tempe, Arizona; and agreed to establish a
"Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory" (PTL) at Arizona State University (ASU) with a
start date of January 1, 1992. The objectives were defined as followed:
- Develop a hands-on training laboratory for graduate and undergraduate
students;
- Provide state-of-the-art laboratory equipment with which faculty,
staff, and students could perform research related to Photovoltaic
(PV) module reliability, durability, and performance;
- Establish the capability to perform qualification testing per all
relevant national and international standards, including Underwriters
Laboratories (UL) 1703;
- Provide PV module qualification testing services to the PV industry;
- Provide related applied research to the PV industry;
- Develop a partnership between ASU and the PV industry;
- Develop a close working relationship with the national laboratories
and electric utilities; and
- Eventually expand the laboratory to include an all PV balance of
system components and PV systems (stand-alone and grid-connected PV
systems).
The Center for Energy Systems Research (CESR), an organization within
the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, was the administrative
unit which supported the establishment and development of the PTL. The
CESR hired Bob Hammond as the program director on January 2, 1992.
On December 9, 1991, Mr. Bob Hammond received an offer letter from the
CESR to serve as the program director, the main task being to "…work with
the Center to develop a self-sustaining Photovoltaic Performance
and Qualification Test Facility".
Figure 1: Left-to-right: Dr. Charles Backus, Mr. Bob Hammond, and Dr. Byard Wood.
The Challenges
There were numerous barriers to that ambitious project, the key ones being:
Limited Funds
No equipment
No technical support staff
No facilities
No market history
No client contracts
Amid those challenges, the founders adopted a simple 10-rules strategy:
Commitment: Do whatever it takes to get the job done
Objective: Clearly define the objective and continuously keep the objective in focus
Identify the barriers and overcome them one-by-one.
Hire supporting staff with great care (avoid 80/20 rule)
Never become dependent on grant money (state or federal).
Constantly revise the detailed strategy to meet the needs of changing conditions
Competition: Understand strengths and weaknesses
Clients: Understand needs - especially the unfulfilled needs (e.g., testing completed in less than 90 days)
Keep costs and testing prices low to beat competition
Become accredited to increase client confidence and offer greater value than competition
ASU-PTL Evolution
Two events occurred in 1992 that established the beginning of the PTL
in terms of hardware:
First, Marjorie Tatro of Sandia National Laboratories
(SNL) provided ASU with a contract to develop the "ideal"
hail impact tester. The contract included a list of "best effort"
specifications and no constraints on the product design. Two undergraduate
students, David Gavin and Ryan Sanders, developed a conceptual design
and prototype for Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (MAE) 490
course credit. With the assistance of the ASU Engineering Lab Services
model shop, Mr. Gavin and Mr. Sanders created a prototype that evolved
into a product that met all of the SNL requirements for the ideal hail
impact tester. A third individual, Nick Gilbert, played a key role in
the final stages of design and construction of the tester. At this time,
an additional test station was constructed for use at PTL. This
placed ASU in the unique position of being the only non-government laboratory
in the world with a PV module hail impact tester.
Secondly, Marjorie Tatro provided ASU with a surplus environmental
chamber. This chamber, originally used by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL) for PV module environmental tests, was shipped to ASU in mid 1992
and installed at ASU over the next twelve months.
From October 1993 to December 1995, the PTL worked under contract to
the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (funded by the U.S. Department
of Energy, DOE). The purpose of this contract was to develop the criteria
for PV module certification and laboratory accreditation. The "Photovoltaic
Module Certification/Laboratory Accreditation Criteria Development:
Implementation Handbook" (figure 2) was published in 1996.
The criteria were then implemented: Mr. Gene Zerlaut, Mr. Steve Chalmers,
and Mr. Bob Hammond established PowerMark Corporation (PMC) with their own
time and funds, and then turned the organization over to the PV industry.
Figure 2: Developing the tools - PV Certification Handbook.
As the PTL continued to evolve, a variety of related contract work
was performed. This work included PV module characterization, hot spot
endurance testing and hail impact testing. In 1994, another essential
piece of testing equipment was developed by an undergraduate student.
Mr. Paul Lyons, working for MAE 490 independent study credit, designed
and developed a dynamic load tester. Mr. Lyons completed the conceptual
design and prototype in December 1994. Mr. Kent Whitfield, who joined
the PTL in 1995, refined the dynamic load tester and built the final
laboratory test station. Following this stage of development, the PTL
began contractual testing with the new test station.
By June of 1995, the PTL was fully equipped to perform the full Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1262 and much of the Underwriters
Laboratories (UL) 1703 qualification test series. At this time, a multi-client
program was initiated to test per IEEE 1262, IEEE Recommended Practice
for Qualification of Photovoltaic (PV) Modules for two manufacturers
and UL 1703, Standard for Safety - Flat Plate Photovoltaic Modules and
Panels for three module manufacturers. This test program established
the ASU- PTL as the only non-government laboratory in the United States
with the capability to perform all of the tests required by IEEE 1262,
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61215, JPL Block V,
and UL 1703.
Two important events occurred in the summer of 1996:
(1) The first multi-client qualification test program was completed in June;
(2) and in July the PTL moved to the new ASU's Polytechnic campus (ASUE) campus in Mesa. (figure 3)
The move to the Polytechnic campus provided the space required to fully develop an international
testing laboratory. An organizational change also occurred at this time
with PTL now reporting to the Electronic and Computer Engineering Technology
Department (ECET), a unit of the College of Technology and Innovation
(CTAS).
In August of 1996, an additional environmental chamber, manufactured
by Russell's Technical Products, was installed at the new lab facility.
This was just in time to begin the Springborn Testing and Research (STR)
contract. STR operated under contract to the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL), which in turn was funded by the Department of Energy
(DOE). NREL then subcontracted to ASU to conduct qualification tests
and outdoor exposure tests on modules using new formulations of ethylene-vinyl
acetate (EVA).
ASU started the IEEE 1262 qualification-testing program for STR in
July 1996 and completed these tests in January 1997. In addition to
IEEE 1262 testing, ASU, in conjunction with Arizona Public Service (APS),
is conducting long-term outdoor exposure testing at the APS Solar Test
and Research (STAR) center for modules made with the new EVA formulations.
The outdoor exposure testing is expected to continue for up to 20 years.
In December 1996, the PTL applied for accreditation to the American
Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). A2LA was chosen for
this task because it is one of two agencies within the U.S. recognized
to accredit laboratories to the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) Guide 25, General Requirements for the Competence of Calibration
and Testing Laboratories. This accreditation would also recognize ASU-PTL's
compliance with the relevant International Standards Organization (ISO)
9000 series of standards as well as PV-1, Criteria for a Model Quality
System for Laboratories Engaged in Testing Photovoltaic Modules. The
A2LA audit was completed on March 21, 1997. The audit resulted in a
total of eleven deficiencies (the majority of which were the result
of calibration laboratories that the PTL used) and these deficiencies
were corrected by June 3, 1997. Accreditation was awarded on June 23,
1997 and made the PTL one of only three laboratories in the world that
are officially recognized as testing laboratories in the field of photovoltaics.
Accreditation is being successfully renewed every two years.
In 2000, a third environmental chamber was installed. This chamber
was designed specifically for "Thermal Shock" tests of PV
modules. With three chambers online, all three environmental tests (temperature
cycling, humidity-freeze, and damp heat) can be conducted in parallel,
reducing the total qualification test time from 110 days to 90 days.
In addition to serving the photovoltaic industry with PV module testing
services, the laboratory has trained many undergraduate students and
graduate students in photovoltaic testing procedures. In September 1998,
a classroom was established within the PTL facility. This classroom
enables the PTL to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of formal
classroom training.
In August 2001, ASU-PTL was qualified by Underwriters Laboratories
Inc. (UL) to participate in its Third Party Test Data Program. The program
allows PTL to perform qualified safety testing on photovoltaic modules to the
UL 1703 standard. The test results are then reported directly to UL
after test performance. This helps the PV manufacturer by providing
faster quotation response time from PTL, and full test witnessing by
UL will no longer be required. The UL Qualification is being successfully renewed every year.
As of the fall of 1996, Arizona State University's third campus, Arizona
State University East (ASUE), began operation with degree programs offered
in both the College of Technology and the School of Agribusiness and
Resource Management. The ASUE campus was created from the acquisition
of property from the Williams Air Force Base, located at 6001 South
Power Road in Mesa, Arizona. The ASUE philosophy is to offer students
a unique learning environment that has been termed an academic village.
This village, which encompasses the Williams Campus, is composed of
ASUE, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Emery-Riddle Aeronautical
University, Mesa Community College and industry-supporting laboratories
such as the U.S. Air Force's Armstrong Laboratory and the Photovoltaic
Testing Laboratory (PTL). This unique learning environment allows students
to take courses offered through all local colleges as well as to supplement
their learning with experience from contract laboratories.
Figure 3: ASU-PTL facility.
ASU-PTL's Current Status
What started with a simple "what-if" letter has now become a pioneer in a global
emerging community. ASU-PTL has reached some very encouraging milestones:
- Fully-functional, self-sufficient accredited laboratory
- A2LA Accreditation: June 1997
- PMC Accreditation: July 1997
- IEC Q/PVGAP Accreditation: February 1999
- UL 1703 Third Party Test Data Program: August 2001
- The ONLY accredited PV laboratory in the US
ASU-PTL is internationally recognized for its committment to PV testing excellence!
The difficult takes time. The impossible takes a little longer - and requires a total commitment to achieving the goal.
ASU-PTL Organization
Substantial changes were made in the organizational structure in
September 1998. These changes were the result of the departure of the PTL manager, Mr. Kent Whitfield,
in August 1998. Mr. Whitfield was a key figure in the development
and management of the laboratory from 1995 through July 1998.
The PTL Laboratory Manager position was filled on an interim basis
in January 1999 by Liang-Jun Ji until May 1999 when Dr. Govindasamy
Tamizh-Mani joined PTL as Laboratory Manager. The laboratory organization
was further changed by the retirement of Robert Hammond on December
31, 1999 and the assumption by Dr. Govindasamy Tamizh-Mani of the
Directorship.
ASU-PTL is currently organized in seven (7) divisions, as shown in figure 4 and 5.
Each division is managed by a full-time staff member. It operates under the
Electronic and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET) department of the College
of Technology and Applied Sciences at the ASU Polytechnic campus(formerly ASU's Polytechnic campus campus).
Figure 4: ASU-PTL Organizational structure
Figure 5: ASU-PTL Detailed Organizational structure
