Design for reliability: A low concentration PV case study

The reliability, availability and predictability of photovoltaic systems are becoming increasingly important as grid penetration increases and lifetime expectations are raised. Sandia National Laboratories and SunPower Corporation teamed up to implement a design for reliability process including Failure Modes and Effects Analyses, accelerated testing, prototype real-world testing, and initial performance analyses on SunPower's new C7 Tracker and solar concentrator. This paper outlines the design for reliability process and initial results.