About PV GreenCard

Helping to Promote High Quality Installations

The South African PV GreenCard is a safety certification, a quality assurance standard, and training programme for solar PV installers. Quality and safety are assured via the specialized education and training provided to solar PV installers prior to them being certified and registered on the PV GreenCard database. This certification means that these installers are proficient and compliant with all of the relevant national and municipal electrical regulations.

On completion of an installation, a certified PV GreenCard installer will issue the client with both a digital and physical document that details all of the specifications of the solar PV system as well as a checklist that all of the required installation steps have been completed to the required standard. This document can in turn be used as proof of compliance for insurance, finance, and regulatory purposes.

The PV GreenCard opens new business opportunities to Solar PV SMEs and entrepreneurs wanting to access this market and provides customers with peace of mind that their system is safe, compliant, and in line with international quality standards.

This quality initiative has 3 key focus areas:

A DATABASE OF INSTALLERS

SAPVIA recommends these installers based on strict criteria to ensure a qualified workforce. The benefit of choosing an industry vetted installer is that you can be confident that you will receive a high quality, safe and reliable solar PV system installation done by qualified individuals who are following standardized practices.

TRAINING FOR INSTALLERS

The development of Solar PV installer skills will assist to improve the quality of Solar PV Installations. It is recognised that education and training are the key requirements to a suitably qualified workforce, ensuring adherence to best practice and thereby safeguarding the future of the industry.

STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES

SAPVIA with the associated partners has developed industry guidelines as an interim measure to ensure best practices are followed in Solar PV rooftop installations. Here you will find the list of recognised appropriate standards and guidelines used for the development of the PV GreenCard.

Supporting the orderly development and continued cohesion of the roof-top Solar PV market segment.

The protection and confidence of affected stakeholders have been consulted and catered to through this initiative.

PV Installers

The key target group of the PV GreenCard are installers who shall adhere to the criteria set by SAPVIA to be registered to the “PV installer database”. The PV GreenCard will serve as a reminder to installation companies to use suitably qualified and skilled installers and adhere to the standards and best practice. This will in turn protect the industry from unsafe and poor quality installations.

Regulatory Bodies

Secondary target groups are investing bodies which shall embed the PV GreenCard standards in their tenders as well as regulatory bodies which shall reference their requirements to the PV GreenCard. The PV GreenCard will provide a level of comfort that the industry is taking safety and quality into account on every installation.

Finance and Insurance Companies

Ideally finance institutions should see the value of safe and quality installations which would reduce much of the associated risks. The PV GreenCard could then become a pre-requisite of finance for rooftop solar PV systems or finance institutions could price the risk more competitively for installations carrying the PV GreenCard. Insurers will feel comfortable that the installations are being done by qualified and skilled installers following best installation practice. This should increase their willingness to extend household/building insurance cover rooftop solar PV installations or offer better rates for PV GreenCard installations.

Training Facilitators

The PV GreenCard takes into consideration the newly approved QCTO PV Technician Qualification which is nationally recognized. Training has been constructed in line with this qualification and will be offered to installers wanting to enter the space of rooftop PV installations. There is an opportunity for a number of facilitators to offer this training throughout South Africa. There is further opportunity to extend this training to include other aspects of PV installation training which includes but is not limited to design, standards compliance and regulation.

PV System Owners

It is important for PV system owners to be educated on what they are acquiring when requesting a rooftop solar PV system. It is further important to ensure that they are able to access a database of installers who are qualified to undertake these installations. The PV GreenCard will provide this security that potential customers would not otherwise have. It will also provide the customer with sufficient information to understand the benefits and limits of the PV system. It is expected that the demand for the PV GreenCard shall be created by consumers who ask for the installation of PV systems according to the SAPVIA standards, set and updated in the PV GreenCard.