- SAPVIA’s GreenCard Programme is designed to enhance skills development in the South Africa’s Solar PV industry in line with recommended guidelines, compliance and safety standards.
- The presentation was attended over 100 young electrical contractors thirsty for information.
The Electrical Safety Indaba Workshop is a platform created and hosted by the Department of Labour (DoL) with the aim of providing stakeholders in the electrical industry insights into safety and applicable compliance standards to be followed by industry players. This year’s indaba was held at Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane on the November 8, 2018 and saw an audience of over 100 young electrical contractors thirsty for information.
The programme included the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) presenting the PV GreenCard Programme, an industry led quality mechanism for Solar PV installations which has been described as” a needed initiative, inclusively promoting safe and quality PV installations.”
Key industry bodies such as South African National Accreditation System (SANAS), National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications, Association of Inspection Authorities (AIA) and Electrical Contractors Association of South Africa (ECASA) were present. SAPVIA is honored to be included and recognised as a key stakeholder to the DoL when it comes to Solar PV installations. The discussions focused on following key aspects such as;
- Applicable and relevant accreditation standards
- Developments in the electrical industry
- Certification of electrical industry products by NCRS in as far as public health, safety and environmental protection is concerned.
- The role of technologies such as SolarPV installations
In light of the recent 2018 Draft IRP which had a balanced energy mix that provided specific recognition to renewable energy technologies such as Solar PV, it therefore became necessary to put the spotlight on the Solar PV industry’s role as far as skills development, compliance, safety and regulation goes.
SAPVIA made a presentation on behalf of the Solar PV industry in which insights of the industry and Solar PV as a technology were presented. The presentation further focused on the highly acclaimed PV GreenCard Programme, built on skills development, standardized practices and detailed documentation of compliance.
Following this presentation, SAPVIA was given specific recognition as a key stakeholder to the Department of Labour for Solar PV installations, particularly when it comes to assisting the Department of Labour to ensure that industry players, such as IPPs, EPC installers and other relevant industry players in the Small Scale embedded generation (SSEG) comply with recommended guidelines, regulations and safety standards necessary to ensure transparency, sustainability and growth in the electricity industry.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
Source: SAPVIA
