EMPLOYERS
WORKSINFOMRMATION-TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
PV INSTALLATION BUILDING 17- CSIR -PRETORIA
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
PV INSTALLATION - CSIR -PRETORIA
Client:
CSIR
Contact Person:
Uwe Kuepker
CSIR Energy Centre
Programme Manager: Hybrid Power Plant
Tel: 012 842 7136
3E Reference:
108348
3E Contact Person:
Teresa Gonzalez/Pierre Francois Drouin
Date:
03/11/2015
Version:
Final version
Classification:
Confidential
Under the General Terms and Conditions of 3E, the client receives the non-exclusive, nontransferable right to use the results reported to him by 3E for internal use only. Unless otherwise
explicitly agreed upon, 3E cannot be held responsible or liable for consequences of the use by the
client of the results, reports, recommendations or other data supplied by 3E in the frame of any
project or order executed by 3E.
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SWIFT/BIC: GEBABEBB
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of contents
3
Document review history
6
1
Introduction
7
1.1 Project Introduction
7
1.2 Objective
8
Location and site characteristics
9
2.1 Description of the site
9
2
3
2.2 Description of the project
11
2.3 Roofs stability
11
General requirements
12
3.1 EPC Contractor
12
3.1.1
Scope of work
12
3.1.2
Contractor’s Design Responsibilities
12
3.1.3
Contractor's Procurement Responsibilities
13
3.1.4
Contractor's Construction Period Responsibilities
13
3.1.5
Contractor's Defect Liability Period Responsibilities
13
3.1.6
Quality System
13
3.1.7
Warranties
14
3.2 Works on site
4
14
3.2.1
Health and safety
14
3.2.2
Security
15
3.2.3
Environmental Management
15
Technical requirements
16
4.1 PV Modules
16
4.1.1
Technical Specifications
16
4.1.2
Module Certification and Compliance
16
4.1.3
Procurement and Supply
17
4.1.4
Factory inspection and quality control requirements
18
4.1.5
PV systems
19
4.1.6
Guarantees or Warranties
19
4.2 Inverters
20
4.2.1
Technical Specifications
20
4.2.2
Installation inverters
21
[email protected]
3E nv/sa
T +32 2 217 58 68
Fortis Bank 230-0028290-83
RPR Brussels
www.3E.eu
Rue du Canal 61
F +32 2 219 79 89
IBAN: BE14 2300 0282 9083
VAT BE 0465 755 594
B-1000 Brussels
SWIFT/BIC: GEBABEBB
4.2.3
Warranties
22
4.3 Mounting structure
22
4.3.1
Design and material
22
4.3.2
Module mounting
23
4.3.3
Mounting structure
23
4.4 Monitoring system
24
4.4.1
General requirements
24
4.4.2
Monitoring Equipment
25
4.4.3
Data handling
27
4.5 Cabling
28
4.5.1
General
28
4.5.2
DC cables
28
4.5.3
DC connector type
29
4.5.4
AC cables
29
4.5.5
Cables identification
30
4.5.6
Cables implementation
30
4.5.7
Signal List
30
4.6 Transformers
30
4.7 Lightning protection and potential equilisation
31
Grid connection
32
5.1 Technical specifications
32
6
Project programme
33
7
Production and performance estimate
34
8
Performance and availability test definition
35
8.1 Performance ratio algorithms
35
8.2 Availability algorithms
36
8.3 Definition of guaranteed and Effective performance Ratio and Availability
37
8.4 Liabilities and liquidated damages
38
Inspection, testing & acceptance tests
39
5
9
9.1.1
Introduction
39
9.1.2
Mechanical Completion Test
39
9.2 Provisional acceptanve tests (PAT)
40
9.2.1
Documentation requirements
40
9.2.2
Verification
41
9.3 Intermediate acceptance tests
42
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9.4 Final acceptance tests
42
9.5 Minimum Requirements for Taking Over
42
10 Training operational & maintenance requirements
43
10.1 Training Requirements
43
11 Operational & maintenance requirements
46
11.1 Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Manuals
46
11.2 Operation & Maintenance activities
46
11.3 Preventive Maintenance
46
11.4 Corrective Maintenance
47
11.5 Spare Parts List
47
11.6 Regular Operation and Maintenance Reports
47
12 Expertise and track record
48
13 Documentation
49
13.1 Documentation to be provided prior to Commencement on Site
49
13.2 Design Review
49
13.3 Documentation Required Prior to Takeover
51
ANNEX A
List of applicable of Standards and Codes of Practice
ANNEX B
Plant technical design and plant technical bill of quantities form 56
ANNEX C
Losses breakdown form
58
ANNEX D
Production estimate form
59
ANNEX E
Grid connection - standar specifications
61
ANNEX F
Pictures
63
ANNEX G
Health and safety regulations
64
ANNEX H
Autocad drawings
65
ANNEX I
Roof assessment
66
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DOCUMENT REVIEW HISTORY
Version
#
Version date
Author
(Company and/or name)
Summary of changes
1
27/10/2015
3E
Draft version for external review
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1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
PROJECT INTRODUCTION
The Employer wishes to develop a “best in class” rooftop photovoltaic plant and therefore requires the
best quality material and workmanship.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is one of the leading scientific research and
technology development organisations in Africa. The CSIR is willing to establish a Photovoltaic (PV)
testing facility at its Pretoria campus to enhance its ability to support development of PV technology in
South Africa and globally, as well as PV system design and optimisation. This project aims to establish
a world-class facility in CSIR for testing PV modules and systems under South African environmental
conditions.
The roof mounted photovoltaic plant will locate in CSIR Pretoria Campus - Meiring Naude Road
Pretoria, South Africa. The roof mounted plant is distributed over one building. Building 17, this building
consists of several roofs areas.
The Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of 1 (one) roof top mounted photovoltaic solar
power facility of at least in summary of 300 kWp as well as Operations and Maintenance (O&M). The
Project shall be executed under the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) using Option
A (Priced Contract with Activity Schedule) with selected Secondary Options.
The Contractor is required to develop and effect a training plan for CSIR’s Facilities Management Staff
is performing basic levels of operations, maintenance and safety activities that will span the duration of
the O&M period.
CSIR Energy Centre is supporting the Science Engineering and Technology Industry Internship
Programme (SETIIP) through multiyear intakes of 2 - 4 engineering students (one year programme).
The main objective of the TLIU SETIIP programme is to increase the graduation rate of science,
engineering and technology students through the provision of structured practical work exposure and
training (fulfilment of Practical 1 and Practical 2 university requirement). The Contractor is thus required
to accommodate and assist in the execution of TLIU SETIIP programme during the planning/design,
installation and the O&M period.
In liaison with the merSETA (MANUFACTURING, ENGINEERING AND RELATED SERVICES
SECTOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING AUTHORITY), a Sector Education Training Authority (SETA)
in terms of the Skills Development Act, and the GIZ’s Skills for Green Jobs programme (S4GJ/German
International Development Cooperation), CSIR Energy Centre is a collaboration partner for the purpose
of a pilot implementation project of the newly developed PV Mounter occupational part-qualification,
guided by the Qualification Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) qualification and assessment
model. The Contractor is thus required to accommodate and assist in the execution of this training
programme during the installation period.
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1.2
OBJECTIVE
The scope of work consists of delivering the technical specifications that need to be taken into account
in the EPC tender proposal submissions. The technical specifications includes the division of
responsibilities (DOR) to be amended to the EPC proposal submissions with the objective to receive
offers of different EPC's contractors.
In order to participate in the bid, the Contractor is to take into account the non-exhaustive list of
technical norms listed in ANNEX A . Furthermore, the Contractor is to complete the forms presented in
ANNEX B , ANNEX C and ANNEX D
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2
LOCATION AND SITE CHARACTERISTICS
2.1
DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE
The CSIR Pretoria Campus is located between Pretoria and Silvertown. The CSIR Pretoria Campus on
which the Photovoltaic Plant is to be built is shown in Figure 1. Roof view of the building 17 are shown
in Figure 2 and Figure 3 respectively.
The site coordinates are 37 25.818’ N 122 05.36’ W.
Figure 1: Site identification - Global view (Source: Google Earth)
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Figure 2: Site identification - Global view (Source: Google Earth)
Figure 3: Site identification- Building 17 (Source: Roof Assessment- SiVEST)
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2.2
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The proposed areas for the PV installation on buildings 17 are generally flat with slight inclinations.
Table 1 shows the different available surfaces per building for the PV plant.
Table 1: Buildings summary
Building No
Total roof area
available (m2)
Number
of roofs
Building 17
1831
3
The optimal power plant capacity shall be calculated by the Contractor with a minimum installed
capacity of at least 300 kWp.
The module's orientation (North or East-West) and the module's inclination can be chosen freely; in
order to obtain a maximum performance.
The typical obstruction objects such air-condition units, pipes, extraction systems, electrical cabinets
and roof walls are present. Vegetation and no-near objects can have a significant impact in the Plant.
Therefore, the above described objects together with he projected shadow shall be considered in the
design of the Plant.
The design of the Plant shall respect the local regulations and the stability constrains of each roof
according to the stability studies carried out for each of the buildings. The Roof Assessment report
done by SiVEST can be found in ANNEX I . The Contractor shall perform more detailed stability study
of the buildings taking into account the proposed design into the calculations.
The Contractor is free to determine the brand, size, type and location of inverters (indoor/outdoor), as
long as the technical requirements are respected.
2.3
ROOFS STABILITY
The Contractor shall calculate the resistance of the roof against the additional load of the PV
installation. The additional load of the PV system also includes the extra load due to wind calculated in
accordance with SANS 10160-1989 regulation.
The wind load on the modules should be calculated (prior to the selection of the supporting structure)
for each specific location depending on wind zone of the site, surroundings of building, roof altitude,
inclination of roof and modules, location of modules on the roof (corners, roof edge, etc.), load of PV
installation, distance between rows of modules, presence of wind shield, etc.
The Contractor shall remain fully responsible for assessing and interpreting the roof conditions across
the site and for designing the Works accordingly. The Contractor shall take full responsibility for all roof
stability investigations and interpretation, and shall design and construct the civil works accordingly.
If the Contractor requires additional intrusive site investigation and/or stability roof testing to be carried
out, then these shall be the full responsibility of the Contractor and conducted at his own cost.
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3
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
3.1
3.1.1
EPC CONTRACTOR
Scope of work
The Contractor shall be responsible for the detailed design of the Works. The design shall respect
international best practice and fit for purpose, complying with this specification and local national
requirements. All designs shall be risk assessed by the designer and certified to recognised standards
including IEC. The risk assessment and certification shall be documented and submitted to the
Employer with the relevant design submission.
The facility shall be designed to avoid completely (where possible) or minimise risk to health and safety
during the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning periods.
The Contractor is responsible for:

Surveying the proposed roofs;

Detailed Design for each roof , detailed drawings (Autocad and pdf files), design sign-offs, asbuilt sign-offs and certifications;

Purchasing, transportation and offloading of all equipment and materials as described on section
4

Construction, erection, installation and assembling;

Testing, commissioning and performance testing;

Preparing operations & maintenance manuals;

O&M services for 36 months following Practical Completion

Procure (and maintain for the duration of the O&M period) spare parts sufficient to maintain a
Facility adequately. The Contractor shall ensure that spare parts inventory is fully stocked at the
end of the O&M period.

Provide comprehensive training and technical support to the Employer’s staff to allow him to
adequately operate and maintain the Works.
3.1.2
Contractor’s Design Responsibilities
The Contractor shall be responsible for the detailed design of the Plants. The design shall be
international best practice and fit for purpose, complying with this specification and local national
requirements, and complying with manufacturer’s manuals. All designs shall be risk assessed by the
designer and certified to recognised standards including IEC.
All installed plant components shall have a minimum design life of 25 years without major overhaul or
replacement of parts and shall be suitable for the expected climatic conditions at the site.
The Plants shall be designed to avoid completely (where possible) or minimise risk to environment,
health and safety during the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning periods
according to the guidelines of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on environment, health and
safety.
All aspects of the works shall be designed and constructed in compliance with the Technical
Specifications, Environmental Impact Assessment, local laws and authorisations, planning
requirements.
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For the avoidance of doubt the Contractor shall have overall responsibility for ensuring that the entire
works are in compliance with the relevant codes, standards and design requirements.
In case the provided roof survey are deemed insufficient by the Contractor, the Contractor shall
unambiguously communicate it in its quotation and proceed to the necessary improvements of those
prior to releasing ready for construction documents. The Contractor assumes full liability for the design.
The Contractor shall submit his designs to the Sponsors for review and comment prior at any moment
during the pre-construction phase. Any deviations from initial design during the construction shall be
immediately communicated to the Sponsors for review and approval.
The Contractor’s proposed design shall have an installed capacity of at least 300 kWp
3.1.3
Contractor's Procurement Responsibilities
The Contractor shall be responsible for the procurement, transportation, offloading and care and
custody of all equipment, machinery, components, materials and consumables as well as procuring of
services required to complete the construction works.
In addition, the Contractor shall procure (and maintain for the duration of the defect liability period)
spare parts sufficient to maintain the Plants adequately. The Contractor shall ensure that spare parts
inventory is fully stocked at the end of the defect liability period.
All Plant’s components shall be new and free of defects.
3.1.4
Contractor's Construction Period Responsibilities
The Contractor shall supply all temporary tools, equipment, vehicles, materials, consumables,
machinery, infrastructure (buildings, waste collection and evacuation, energy generation, water supply,
internet and phone communication systems, work site and road signs, etc.), qualified labour, security
and other professional services required for the construction of the Plants.
The Contractor shall comply with health and safety regulations as applicable.
The Contractor shall provide all up to date as-built documents, commissioning reports, manufacturers
maintenance manuals prior to mechanical completion.
3.1.5
Contractor's Defect Liability Period Responsibilities
The Contractor shall maintain and operate the Plants during the entire defect liability period. These
activities shall include all necessary preventative and corrective maintenance actions. A draft
maintenance plan and related contractual conditions shall be included in Contractor’s quotation.
In addition, the Contractor shall procure (and maintain for the duration of the defect liability period)
spare parts sufficient to maintain the Plants adequately. The Contractor shall ensure that spare parts
inventory is fully stocked at the end of the defect liability period.
3.1.6
Quality System
The Contractor shall employ a quality system accredited to ISO 9001 and shall execute the Works in
accordance with these requirements.
The Employer reserves the right to perform an audit on the Contractor’s quality assurance system.
All design shall be prepared, checked and approved in accordance with the Contractor’s Quality
procedures and as specified in these Employer’s Requirements.
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The QAP shall detail as a minimum:

Management philosophy and structure of the business

Supply chain management

Subcontractor management philosophy (indicating split of in-house and subcontracting)

Quality of materials and equipment management

Staff training and development philosophy

Project quality standards

Ethics
Furthermore, the selected manufacturers or suppliers shall have basic quality certification for its
operation.
There are three global quality certifications which are relevant:

ISO 9001, a certification for the requirements for a quality management system

ISO14001, a certification for Environmental Management System which specifies a process for
controlling and improving a company's environmental performance

OSHAS18001, an international occupational health and safety management system
specification.
3.1.7
Warranties

The Contractor shall provide at least three (3) year warranty on the overall PV installations;

The PV plant components (especially for the PV panels and inverters) manufacturer warranties
and ownership shall be transferable from the Contractor to the Employer (or other designated
party by the Employer) after the initial period of 3 years or whichever duration of the warranties
of the overall PV installations as offered by the Contractor;

Defect notification period must be taken into account in planning and in the Contractor warranties
period determination and is the responsibility of the Contractor;

The repair or replacement of any defective PV plant component(s) shall reset the beginning of
the Contractor warranty period for the specific component(s).
3.2
3.2.1
WORKS ON SITE
Health and safety
All staff working on CSIR premises must adhere to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (85 of
1993) and its regulations included in ANNEX G
The Contractor's staff shall use always personal protective equipment (PPE) as stated in the safety
norms; heads, gloves, fall protection, etc. All equipment should be inspected daily and subjected to a
full inspection every three months as per SANS10333-3:2006 standards and the Construction
Regulations.
The use of ladders and stairways, safety lines and armor shall be in line with the Construction
Regulations which form part of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993.
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3.2.2
Security
The Employer shall supply security services for the duration of construction. Security staff shall be
provided with a complete list of Contractor’s Staff (including subcontractors’ staff) and the Contractor’s
Project Manager shall inform security about expected activities, especially by Others (e.g. for deliveries
of materials or equipment).
All Contractors’ staff requiring regular access to the site will require access permits and valid
identification. The Contractor shall submit to the Employer a full list of all staff (including
subcontractors) that will access the site.
Once a permit is in-hand, Contractor’s staff and Subcontractors’ staff may access the site freely
weekdays between 7:00 – 18:00. Access outside of these times and on weekends and public holidays
will require prior arrangement with the Project Manager.
3.2.3
Environmental Management
The Contractor is responsible for the removal of all waste from the site. This includes vegetation
cleared, rubble, packaging etc.
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4
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
In this section the technical requirements for the main installation components are defined.
Generally, all components are to be selected keeping in mind that the desired outcome of the project is
to reach to a "best in class" photovoltaic plant.
4.1
4.1.1
PV MODULES
Technical Specifications
The Contractor is allowed to make use of the following photovoltaic module technologies:

Mono-crystalline silicon

Multi-crystalline silicon

Thin film
The following parameters are to be respected:

Normal Operating Cell Temperature (NOCT) is at maximum 46°C with a tolerance of ±2°C.

The panel operating temperature range is to be at least -40 to 85°C.

The temperature coefficients for power is to be a maximum of -0.44%/°C;

The PV panels shall be able to support a maximum PV system voltage of 1000V (or 1500V in
case of new module generation). When a panel type is certified as per IEC61730 standard, it
implies it has been tested and has passed this requirement.

The panel's ability to withstand up to 5400Pa must have been proven through the IEC61730
certification being obtained with this load;

The PV panels must have frames sufficiently resistant to potentially corrosive environment
(Aluminium Alloy, Anodized Aluminium, etc); these modules must have valid IEC certifications;

All modules are required to have a positive output tolerance and the tolerance range is not to be
larger than 0 to +3%, preferably 0...5Wp;
4.1.2

Typical efficiency reduction of maximum 5% at 200 W/m2 according to IEC 60904-1.

Junction box shall be IP 67 rated.
Module Certification and Compliance
The panels must have valid CE mark of compliance. The CE marking is a mandatory conformance
market that a product has met EU consumer safety, health or environmental requirements.
The panels must be approved for its design and type and safety for terrestrial application in accordance
to international standards International Electro technical Commission (IEC).
Crystalline silicon modules are required to be IEC 61215 certified and thin film modules are required to
be IEC 61646 certified. This certification includes the examination of all parameters which are
responsible for the ageing of PV modules and describes the various qualification tests on the basis of
the artificial load of the materials. In particular one differs between radiation testing, thermal testing and
mechanical testing. IEC61215 or IEC61646 is a compulsory design qualification and type approval for
crystalline silicon terrestrial PV modules.
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The module must be IEC61730 certified. IEC61730 addresses the safety qualifications for PV modules.
The IEC61730 test results should attest that the modules are rated for Safety Class II (Application
Class A) which means the modules can be used in PV systems with 1000VDC voltage rating.
PV modules installed in environments with potential corrosive or chemically harmful ambient conditions
(e.g. near the coast or on farm rooftops) must be certified in accordance to IEC 61701 (resistance of
PV modules to salt mist) and/or IEC 62716 (resistance of PV modules to ammonia) respectively.
The following table presents the overview of the applicable IEC standards.
Table 2: Overview of the applicable IEC standards
Module Technology
Salt Mist
Corrosion Testing
Design Qualification
and Type Approval
Photovoltaic (PV)
Module Safety
Qualification
Crystalline PV panels
IEC 61701
IEC61215
IEC61730-1 and
IEC61730-2
Thin Film PV panels
IEC 61701
IEC61646
IEC61730-1 and
IEC61730-2
PV panel components are only considered to be approved when they are used to fabricate the panels
that were submitted to and passed various standard certification and compliance tests such as IEC. As
the manufacturer goes through the process of qualifying new suppliers, the test certificates must
continuously be updated to include additional component providers. Therefore as part of the panel
agreement, the Contractor shall include a requirement that the PV panels intended for the PV projects
under consideration shall be made with only approved panel components.
Detailed specification sheets and certificates of compliance to these standards are to be provided.
The Contractor may use locally assembled modules on condition that proof of these certifications
specific to the local assembly facility can be provided.
4.1.3
Procurement and Supply
The Contractor shall supply the photovoltaic (PV) panels required to realize the PV Plants under
consideration. Engineering-related aspects that need to be considered, but not restricted to, during the
selection of PV modules for the Plants are:

Technical specifications of the product.

Product certifications and marks of compliance including verification on local or country -specific
requirements for importing and use of PV modules.

Product quality and performance warranties together with any other relevant warranties.

The overall capability of the PV module manufacturer(s)/supplier(s) in delivering consistent and
good quality products (available production capacity declaration, manufacturing quality
management certificate, , material supply and quality management, in-process and outgoing
quality checks, equipment maintenance program, etc).

Compatibility with other components (e.g. inverter sizing, wiring requirements, mounting structure
requirements, etc).
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
PV Plant operation and maintenance aspects (e.g. supply of panels, replacement and disposal of
defective panels, list of spare panels or reserves for contingencies etc).

Implementation of quality control procedures: see next paragraph
There are no restrictions where the PV modules are manufactured; however, the selected modules
must fulfil the technical specifications and warranty requirements which will be described in the
subsequent sections of this document. Furthermore, the technical suitability of the selected modules for
grid-connected PV installations, regardless of the brand and manufacturer, shall be evaluated; this can
be done via a product-level due diligence (see next paragraph).
The PV module supply or purchase agreements (e.g. contract documents) shall contain detailed
technical specifications and agreed warranty terms of conditions to avoid ambiguities. If necessary, it is
recommended to obtain support and inputs from a Technical Advisor in these aspects (e.g.: elaboration
of rejection criteria, etc).
4.1.4
Factory inspection and quality control requirements
Compliances and certifications (e.g. CE, IEC or ISO) themselves are typically not adequate to ensure
that a group of PV modules are technically suitable for use in medium scale projects. In order to
mitigate the quality risks, additional due diligences are recommended which can be proposed by the
Contractor:
Module acceptance at delivery point: a certain quality scheme is recommended when the modules
are delivered but prior to acceptance; the tests should include

Visual inspection of the packaging and storage conditions:

Condition of connectors and junction boxes.

Proper insertion of the glass panel inside the aluminium frame.

Visual defects: damages, defects, potential corrosion problems, stains or irregularities found on
the PV panels and the external connectors and cables.

Review of electrical performance IV-flash test data

IV-flash measurement and EL imaging of a randomly sampled small population of the delivered
modules.

Reporting of defects and deviations
During construction period and prior to PV plant acceptance:

Infrared camera thermal imaging for potential hotspots on 100% of the installed PV panels (this
has to be done after all panels are connected).
Operational PV plants:

Continuous monitoring of the Plants and the use of the data to detect potential PV panel-related
issues.

Infrared camera thermal imaging for potential hotspots on 100% of the installed PV panels over
time to establish module hotspot propensity
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4.1.5
PV systems
Delivery and Acceptance of PV Panels
For each delivered PV module, a comprehensive IV flash test data collected during the fabrication (in
excel format) must be provided. The data must have the following information:

The test condition the measurement is carried out (STC).

Serial number of the tested panel, including which panels are in which shipping containers and
pallets.

Power at maximum power point (Pmpp).

Voltage at MPP (Vmpp).

Current at MPP (Impp).

Open circuit voltage (Voc).

Short circuit current (Isc).

Fill Factor

Panel surface temperature (measured by temperature sensor, corrected and uncorrected if
possible).
This information shall be provided the latest two (2) weeks prior to the arrival of PV panels on the Site,
in order to enable the Contractor to plan or change the program development and assembly based on
the type and quantity of panels in the containers they are delivered in.
Installation of PV panels
Elements related to the fixing of the PV panels on the support structure will be provided by the
Contractor.
The PV panel installation manual must be provided. The manual shall contain all the necessary
requirements and specifications for proper panel installations such as (but not limited to):

Types of mounting structures including physical requirements for securing mechanisms (screws,
clamps, dimensions, tightening force, locations) and useful information such as recommended
mounting types, recommended spacing to guarantee sufficient air circulation, restrictions to
certain environments etc.

Mechanical and electrical panel configuration guidelines (landscape, portrait, string and array
sizing, grounding etc).

Earthing requirements
For certain types of cSi panel technologies, special requirements in inverter selection and PV array
groundings are called for. These requirements shall be clear in the installation manual.
Provide safe and easy access for cleaning and maintenance between the modules.
The Contractor shall respect the specifications of the modules manufacturer concerning both the
storage and handling procedures as described in the installation manual or based on good practice.
4.1.6
Guarantees or Warranties
PV module manufacturers at present day generally offer two types of standard warranties: product and
power warranty. Both warranties are limited in time.
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
Product warranty warrants that the panels are free from defects in materials or workmanship. The
definition of defects in materials or workmanships shall be clearly defined. Clear rejection criteria
shall be added if not included in the manufacturer’s warranty document. Compensation for
defective products shall be clearly defined (replacement, repair or financial compensations). The
warranty shall also include the factory-assembled DC connector and cables. A warranty period of
at least 5 years is required.

Power warranties guarantee certain percentage of power output during certain period of time.
The definition of a reference output power must be clearly defined. The measurement shall be
conducted under Standard Test Conditions (STC). A power output warranty, being 90% within 10
years and 80% within 25 years is the minimum required.
The date the warranties start and defect notification period are critical and must be clearly defined.
Effective start date is usually the date of sales, date of invoices or date of shipment. The Contractor
shall ensure that any claims are executed by taking into account the defect notification period.
The warranties should allow for the involvement of independent technical party during the warranty
claim process and in technical dispute resolution.
The warranties offered by the module manufacturers shall be transferrable. Any terms and conditions
for warranties transferability must be clearly defined.
The Contractor must provide proof that the module manufacturers have sufficient financial backup that
covers module manufacturers in case of bankruptcy.
Finally, the conditions which void the warranties shall be clearly stated (e.g. mishandling of modules,
installation in extreme salt conditions etc.).
4.2
4.2.1
INVERTERS
Technical Specifications
The Contractor shall supply the photovoltaic (PV) inverters required to realize the PV Plants under the
consideration.
The selection of PV inverters shall be made based on the PV installation design and functional
requirements, including the compatibility to the selected PV panels for the installations.
There are no restrictions where the PV inverters are manufactured; however, the selected inverters
must fulfil the technical specifications and warranty requirements which will be described below. It is
recommended using PV inverters well stablished and recognized in the solar market. If not, the
technical suitability of the selected inverters for grid-connected PV Plants shall be evaluated. This can
be done via a product-level due diligence.
The Contractor is free to determine the brand, size and type of inverter, as long as the technical
requirements are respected. The compatibility with the transformer size is to be safeguarded.
Inverters must be designed for PV application and include:

Two MPP tracker at least;

A display showing the faults and the performances;

An advanced system to allow power control and a high efficiency;
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
Remote monitoring and control capabilities (PC connection…);

Isolation fault detection;

Ability to (re-)start and stop function automatically;

Variable power factor (following the grid operator requirements);

The ratio of the input peak power over the output power has to be at maximum 120% and shall
be formally confirmed by the inverter manufacturer. This sizing shall also include a verification of
inverter Vmax versus string Voc at 5°C and 1000W/m².

The MPP voltages of the strings are to be verified to lie in the MPP voltage range of the inverter
for temperatures between 0°C and 70°C.

Inverters should be housed and installed indoors in a controlled environmental condition (e.g. airconditioned room, forced ventilation) taking into account Site specific temperature and humidity
characteristics.

An IP protection class of at least 54 is required for outdoor mounting and an IP grade of at least
21 is required for indoor mounting of the inverters

The inverter requires a DC switch according to IEC 60364-7-712.

Inverters have to be protected from overload and short-circuit internally and should be equipped
with disconnection devices following the local requirements.

Inverters shall be installed according to manufacturer’s installation manual. Maintenance
manuals shall be provided prior to Plant acceptance.

If inverters are installed outdoors they have to be protected against direct sunlight (e.g.
sunshield, beneath the arrays, etc.);
Inverters have to be protected from overload and short-circuit internally and should be equipped with
disconnection devices following the local requirements.
The Contractor shall produce a proof that the combination of inverters and PV modules is acceptable.
Practically, this can be done by using system configuration software using the characteristics of the
modules and inverters as well as appropriate meteo-files for the project location.
Inverters should comply with the CE standard and IEC 62109 which evaluates safety requirements and
IEC 62116 which evaluates the performance of islanding prevention or any other local requirement if
any.
4.2.2
Installation inverters
The inverter installation manual must be provided. The manual shall contain all the necessary
requirements and specifications for proper inverter installations such as (but not limited to):

Requirements for the inverter mounting location, mounting instructions, recommended distance
clearance between inverters (if more than one) or inverter and object;

System configuration, connection requirements, communicating settings;

Earthing requirements;
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In some cases, special requirements for inverters (grounding, with or without transformer etc.) are
stipulated by the PV panel manufacturers. If such case occurs, the Contractor has the responsibility to
notify the Employer and to ensure that the special requirements are understood and satisfied.
4.2.3
Warranties
Inverters should have at least a 5 years standard warranty. The contract sales agreement with the
inverter manufacturer has to clearly define the claiming procedure of defect inverters or parts, the
required additional specific independent party involvement and any other conditions that might
influence the honouring of the warranties.
Any extension and the full scope of that extension to the standard limited warranty that is included in
the price should be indicated.
The Contractor must provide proof that the inverter manufacturers have sufficient financial backup that
covers manufacturers in bankruptcy.
Finally, the conditions which void the warranties shall be clearly stated (e.g. mishandling of inverters,
installation in extreme salt conditions etc.).
4.3
4.3.1
MOUNTING STRUCTURE
Design and material
The supporting structure of the modules and all other PV components on the roof shall be designed
and installed in line with the relevant South African standards more in particular applicable for PV
installations.

SANS 10160 Part 2- Self weight and imposed loads

SANS 10160 Part 3- Wind actions
The wind load on the modules should be calculated (prior to the selection of the supporting structure)
for each specific location depending on wind zone of the site, surroundings of building, roof altitude,
inclination of roof and modules, location of modules on the roof (corners, roof edge, etc.), load of PV
installation, distance between rows of modules, presence of wind shield, etc.
The amount of connection points will be calculated based on the applied loads and the static behaviour
of the system. The connection points may not harm the position of or the sealing in-between the
roofing.
Wind load stability calculations will be provided to the Employer.
Structures are typically made out of steel and aluminium; those materials should be new and conform
to the current norms in terms of characteristics (quality, tolerance…). All used screws and clamps need
to be resistant to corrosion.
The mounting of other components should not be done by penetrating the structure (e.g. drilling holes)
as this might void the galvanization layer. A clamping method is preferred or adequate measures are to
be taken to ensure a corrosion protection.
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4.3.2
Module mounting
The way of mounting the modules onto the mounting structure shall be in accordance with the
requirements of the module manufacturer and mounting structure manufacturer as described in the
instruction manual of both components. If not, written approval on the way of mounting shall be
provided by the Contractor from the module manufacturer or/and mounting structure manufacturer.
If modules are clamped onto the mounting structure, at least 4 clamping points should be used. The
minimal torque for screwing the modules as stated in the instruction manual shall be respected.
The Contractor shall foresee a minimum inclination of the modules in order to assure the self-cleaning
effect by the rain, i.e. at least 15° from the horizontal.
The sheds are to be designed so that the shadow angle is to stay below winter solstice. The shadow
angle is defined as the angle between the horizontal and the line connecting the highest point of one
row to the lowest point of the following row of modules.
4.3.3
Mounting structure
The supporting system of the PV system and the connections to the roof may not have an impact on
the function of the roof. In all circumstances the building's weather tightness must be maintained.
The supporting structure and the choice of its location on the roof may not block the water drainage on
the roof. Special attention should be paid because some supporting structure manufacturers mention a
minimum inclination of the roof of approximately 3%. The drainage system shall be well maintained
and clean.
The roof clearance around the perimeter of the array has to allow safe O&M activities. It shall be
considered corridors to allow the easy access to the module arrays for cleaning activities.
Alignment between all modules planes should be guaranteed.
The roofs where the PV Plants are to be installed are mainly flats. On flat roofs, the PV installation can
be attached to the roof by using ballast or by anchoring onto the roof supporting structure.
Ballast system
Ballast will be placed on certain positions to attach the PV system onto the roof. There will be no
penetrations though the roof. The ballast will be dimensioned based on the conclusions of the stability
study. The maximal resistance of the thermal insulation material against pressure shall be taken into
account when dimensioning the ballast system.
Creep resistance shall be taken into account. E.g.; an aluminium frame of 6 meter shall deform 8 mm
with a temperature difference of 50°C.
A protection layer shall be foreseen between the ballast tiles and the roofing in order to prevent
damage of sharp edges onto the roofing and to act as buffer for thermal expansion of the supporting
structure. The material of the protection layer needs to be compatible with the roofing material and high
UV resistance. The protection layer shall have a minimum thickness of 1.5 mm.
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For the position of the module ballast, the Contractor should take into account the position of the
supporting beams under the roof. The load of the PV system on the roof should be equally distributed
over the roof.
Anchoring system
There are several methods to attach the module supporting structures onto the existing roof supporting
structure (via a concrete base, anchoring or a shaft).
The perforation of the module supporting structure through the roofing material can have a direct
impact on the water tightness and thermal isolation, which shall be kept as low as possible. All roof
penetrations must be durably sealed using purpose-made products capable of accommodating the
movement and temperatures to which they may be subjected.
Besides the tensile and pressure force also the horizontal component of the wind force need to be
taken into account in the design.
Warranties
The structure shall have at least 10 years warranty but shall be designed for a minimum lifetime of 25
year. Special attention should be paid to warranty conditions against corrosion. Corrosion prevention
must start at the design stage considering Site and soil specific parameters.
4.4
MONITORING SYSTEM
A "best in class" photovoltaic park requires a monitoring system to improve the reliability and
productivity of the plant. The monitor includes following the plant‘s performances to optimize the energy
output, detecting abnormal losses, and planning the preventive maintenance actions.
It is recommended to provide a monitoring system that complies with the requirements set below. Any
deviation from the requirements is to be clearly stipulated.
The main standard applicable is the IEC 61724 Ed 1.0 (“Photovoltaic system performance monitoring –
Guidelines for measurement, data exchange and analysis”). This standard is based on 4 others IEC
norms.
A logging tariff meter is to be installed compliant with SANS 474/NRS 057. The meters should be
integrated into the monitoring system.
4.4.1
General requirements
The monitoring system must be designed and implemented in such a way to have a lifetime of 25
years. The monitoring system is in charge of recording meteorological and electrical parameters and
status of the PV plant components.
Continuous monitoring is required. The norm specifies that the sampling frequency has to be at least
one minute for the parameters varying directly with the sunlight; up to 10 minutes is allowed for the
other parameters (e.g. temperatures).
The minimum data to be monitored are:

DC current and voltage at combiner box level, preferably at string level

Inverters behaviour for each inverter:
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

DC current and voltage input

Output active and reactive power

Phase voltage and current

Energy output

Alarms and faults
Meteorological data:

Module temperature measured on 1% of the plant’s modules

Ambient temperature

Irradiation

Wind speed

Energy output at the meter

Status of the equipment (protection devices, inverters)
Any other information which would be required by the laws and norms and grid code
Table 3 lists the recommended maximum uncertainties and sampling frequencies.
Table 3: Recommendations for electrical parameters
4.4.2
Parameter
Remarks
Maximum uncertainties
(including signal treatment)
Required sampling
Frequency
Voltage (V)
Current (I)
Valid for all types of voltage and current
measurements, on AC as well as DC
+/-1% of the reading
5 sec
DC Power
Recommendation: measurement directly
with a power sensor
(it can also be calculated from I and V
based on sampled values and
not averaged ones).
+/- 2% of the reading
5 sec
AC Power
+/- 2% of the reading
A wattmeter taking into account the
power factor and the
distortion has to be used
It is recommended to use a kWh meter to
avoid sampling errors.
5 sec
Monitoring Equipment
Irradiance sensors (pyranometer)
In the case that the installation presents different tilt and orientation one irradiance sensors per building
should be installed in the plane of the modules in a non-shaded area. . Irradiance in the horizontal
plane can be measured as well for informative purposes . The uncertainties on the measurement
(including signal treatment) should be at maximum +/-3% for hourly values and +/-2% for daily totals
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(considering 95% confidence level). The non-linearity error (sensitivity variation versus irradiation) shall
not exceed 0.2%.
Only measurements using pyranometers are accepted as reference sources. The pyranometers must
have at least the characteristics of the CMP11 model from Kipp&Zonen (or any equivalent Secondary
Standard device according to ISO9060). The Contractor should provide the Sponsor with a calibration
certificate for each sensor (this should be part of the as-built files).
If signal cables of more than 50 meters have to be used, an adequate IP66 signal amplifier is required.
This amplifier shall allow voltage input between -12 to +150 mV and current output between 4 to 20
mA. Signal accuracy shall be at minimum +/- 10 μV.
Pyranometers shall be secured with levelling screws or mounting rod to a metal support with a good
connection to earth (e.g. by using a lightning conductor).
Calibration certificates of the pyranometers shall be provided at delivery on Site. Calibration shall be
redone at least every two years or at any moment when deviations of more than 2% are identified
between the values of all the installed pyranometers.
All pyranometers shall be cleaned at least once a month.
The following minimal pyranometer’s parameters shall be respected:
Parameter
Value
Spectral range
285 to 2800 nm
Sensitivity
7 to 14 µV/W/m²
Response time
<5s
Directional error
(up to 80 ° with 1000 W/m² beam)
< 10 W/m²
Temperature dependence of sensitivity
(-10 ºC to +40 ºC)
<1%
Operating temperature range
-40 °C to +80 °C
Field of view
180 °
Protection
IP67
Non-linearity
(sensitivity variation vs. irradiance)
< 0.2%
Non-stability
(variation sensitivity/year)
< 0.5%
Ambient and Module Temperature Sensors
Ambient air temperature has to be measured with sensors having an accuracy of at least +/-1K
(including signal treatment). The sensors should be protected from direct sunlight to avoid over-heating
effect that can influence the measurement accuracy.
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Probes to measure the PV modules temperature should be located at the back of several modules,
complying with the installation manual of the manufacturer. At least 6 sensors per Plant are
recommended and the choice of the sensor location is described in norm IEC 61829. The uncertainties
should not be more than +/-1K (signal treatment included).
PT100 temperature sensors with a silicon body and auto adhesive are typically recommended.
Temperature range should be -50°C to +150°C.
Wind speed measurement
Wind speed shall be measured by anemometers. The uncertainties of the measurement have to be
less than 0.5m/s for wind speed up to 5m/s; for higher wind speeds, the uncertainties are to be at
maximum +/-10% of the reading.
The anemometer should be placed horizontally and in accordance with the installation manual of the
manufacturer.
Data Logger
The data logger collects the data from the photovoltaic Plant.
There are several possibilities to establish a distance connection with the datalogger in order to access
and to download the daily data of the installation. The ideal connection type is when the datalogger has
a fixed IP address that is permanently accessible. In case of a dynamic IP address, the monitoring
system should be combined with a Dynamic DNS (Domain Name Service). The Contractor is
responsible for the synchronisation between the permanently accessible fixed domain and the updates
of the network router.
The monitoring system connection options are via land line, using a satellite link or GPRS connection.
Most appropriate method to the conditions of the site should be selected. The Contractor has to provide
a complete folder for approval containing all the information and parameters such as proposed system
schematic, technical characteristics devices, tools, software, access frequency and duration, security
protocols, etc.).
Data should be accessible 24hour/7day all year around remotely via a server. There should be
redundancy in terms of communication lines and server, one being used as a backup if the main one
fails. The data transmission has to be secured using a firewall or a sftp server.
The datalogger memory should allow the storage of 1 month of data.
4.4.3
Data handling
The format should be consistent with the norm IEC 61724, with numerical data written in single-byte
ASCII code.
Data measured and calculated have to be sent every 10 to 15 minutes to an FTP or SFTP server
where they will be accessible. The time of the end of each period should be available and should refer
to the local or universal time rather than solar time.
Data quality has to be checked by comparing it to admissible maximum and minimum values.
A variety of values can be calculated from the measured parameters as described in the norm IEC
61724, among others:
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
Global Irradiation in the modules plane

Performance Ratio
A specific logbook document including all events, incidents, component replacements, calibrations,
maintenance actions, cleanings…affecting to the plant shall be kept updated. The logbook shall be kept
electronically and shall be accessible from off-site.
4.5
4.5.1
CABLING
General
All cabling shall be installed in accordance with its manufacturer’s requirements and to meet the design
conditions used in the sizing calculations.
The combined cable losses should not exceed 3%, i.e. the DC and AC cable losses combined.
4.5.2
DC cables
The cables of the PV installation must have the following characteristics:

Cables used outside shall be UV resistant (according to HD605 / A1) and ozone protected when
deployed on roofs;

Cables should have Class II rating for insulation;

Cables must be rated for temperatures from -40°C to +90°C. This requirement is also applicable
to all materials used in the installation (such as cable conduits);

Cables shall comply with SANS 1507 and TÜV 2 Pfg 1169

The cable shall be made of double insulated component and shall have a minimal life span of 25
years;

The cable bending radius shall be at minimum four times the cable diameter or as specified by
manufacturer, if different;

Cables shall be terminated with MC4 connectors

Cables have to be sized to allow a current up to 1.25 Isc and up to 1.2 Voc typically observed for
crystalline-silicon modules;
Cables must be installed in conduits and hooded cable trays. The cable return path should follow the
same way to avoid induction loops.
Cables must be dimensioned according to CEI 20-40 and CEI 20-67. Norm CEI 64-8 should be
followed to prevent short-circuit-induced current. Norm CEI 82-25 should be followed regarding
arrangement of cables and cables trays.
In terms of certifications, DC cables: have to pass the requirements described in 2PfG 1169/08.07
(“Requirements for cables for use in photovoltaic-systems”)
The minimum cross section of 6mm² is required for the string cables. Combined DC cable losses are to
be less than 2% at Standard Test Conditions.
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4.5.3
DC connector type
The DC connectors shall be UV resistant and ozone protected. They should be rated for the same
temperature range as the cables or better. They shall need at least an IP-class of 65. The used
connectors have to be equipped with a locking system to avoid disconnection of the parts (i.e. type
MC4 or MC4 compatible). Male and female connectors will be of the same make.
4.5.4
AC cables
All LV cables shall be terminated using proprietary crimped lugs. Unless otherwise agreed with the
Employer, all LV cables shall be to the following standards:
Table 4: Cable type definition per purpose
Purpose
Cable Type
General Services:
Steel Wire Armoured (SWA) on tray or
ladder, NYM-J within steel
conduit/trunking.
CT/VT secondaries and control cables:
NYCY
Cables between generators and external
unit substations:
NYY-O (double insulated and suitable for
outdoor use), minimum Voltage rating
1000V-1500V and suitable for the
generating Voltage.
All HV cables shall be XLPE or EPR insulated with aluminium or copper stranded wire conductors and
PE or PVC outer sheath. The cable construction shall be according to SANS 97 or 1339, SANS 1507
and IEC60502 and shall employ longitudinal water blocking. All HV cables shall be suitable for direct
buried or ducted installation.
HV jointing and terminating shall be only undertaken by suitably trained and competent personnel. All
joints and terminations be completed and tested in accordance with the manufacturer’s
recommendations.
Certification for each joint shall be provided listing the following information as a minimum:

Type of joint (Bolt up, splice, pole top, etc.)

Insulation resistance test (screen to earth and core to screen) prior to jointing

Termination kit used including serial number

Stripping tool used including serial number

Core cross-sectional area

Insulation resistance test (screen to earth and core to screen) after jointing

Attach manufacturer’s instructions from the jointing kit

Sign off from Jointer

Date of completion of the joint

The combined AC (both LV as HV) power losses should be below 2%.
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4.5.5
Cables identification
All cables shall be given a unique identification number. All cables shall be listed in a cable schedule
and shown on the substation schematic diagrams. All cables shall be identified at each end using a
robust and weatherproof identification tag indicating the cable reference number. For multi-core
cables, cores shall be given a unique identifier and labelled accordingly. Spare cores shall be labelled
as spare. All phase conductors shall be suitably identified at each end. Where cables pass through
drawpits, identification markers shall be fitted to the cables at both ends of the pit.
4.5.6
Cables implementation
Cable entry to all external equipment shall be via weatherproof glands. All cable conductors larger
than 1.5mm² shall be stranded.
All cables shall be adequately supported, restrained and protected from mechanical and thermal
damage. Segregation shall be maintained between power cables and control cables according to local
national standards. The minimum segregation shall be not less than 300mm.
All ducts shall be sealed after cable installation with suitable expanding material to prevent ingress of
water, dust and vermin. Any cable entries through the roof shall be via proprietary cable transits and
sealed after installation.
All buried cables have to follow the local requirement in terms of depth, signalling and protections.
4.5.7
Signal List
The Contractor shall assume overall responsibility for the signals list for all interfaces between the
power plant and the DSO/TSO. The Contractor shall liaise with the relevant parties, including the
Network Operator and Generator Supplier, to ensure signal requirements are clearly understood and
communicated.
Cables carrying analogue signals shall have each pair individually screened and shall have an overall
outer screen. Cables carrying digital signals shall have an outer overall screen only.
4.6
TRANSFORMERS
The Contractor is responsible to check the suitability of the existing transformers of each of the
buildings.
The design shall allow for easy access by an operator to all of the above devices for inspection and
maintenance.
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4.7
LIGHTNING PROTECTION AND POTENTIAL EQUILISATION
As the PV plant might be subject to lightning strikes or voltage surges, an appropriate protection is
required. The lightning protection concept is to be designed conform to SANS 10313 and IEC62305
norm.
All arrays are to be connected to the ground. Earthing shall comply with SANS 10142 Parts 1 (LV) and
2 (MV), SANS 10292 and SANS 10199.
3E recommends installing Surge Protection Devices 5SPD) of type I at string box (if present), combiner
box (if present), inverter (DC and AC side) and at transformer level.
An adequate number of lightning rods is to be connected to the arrays.
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5
GRID CONNECTION
5.1
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The Contractor will have to assess the different possibilities across the site to connect to the grid and
shall remain fully responsible and for designing the Works accordingly.
The connection can be done through the existing 400V/11kV Substations or the different available LV
feedings.
The Point of Connection (PoC) will be the low voltage switchgear inside Building 17. The Contractor will
be responsible for the procurement of replacement LV switchboard panel as specified in Appendix E,
and the additional switchgear required to integrate the PV Facility.
The Plant shall have separate metering for export and import.
The number of required tariff meter will be assessing by the Contractor and it has to be compliant with
SANS 474/NRS 057.
The Grid Connection works should comply with the Municipal Technical Specifications, see ANNEX E
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6
PROJECT PROGRAMME
A base-line programme shall be provided by the Contractor for the Works. The Contractor shall update
this programme periodically bi-weekly to reflect his actual progress against the base-line programme.
The programme shall include all principal activities, milestones and activity dependencies required for
successful delivery of the project.
The programme shall be provided in an MS Project GANTT chart format.
The programme shall include the following operational phases (not limited):

Engineering phase

Material procurement phase

Construction phase

Site preparation works

Civil works

Mechanical works

Electrical works (split up into DC and AC)

Grid connection works

Monitoring works

Testing phase

Commissioning
The ultimate goal of the Employer is to have the site grid-connected end of April 2016.The Contractor is
to define a clear time line. The programme is to be adjusted to meet the Employers requirements and
take into account the planning of the Distribution System Operator regarding the connection of the
photovoltaic plant.
The modules and inverters are to have arrived on site before the construction phase starts.
The contractor has to define the build-up of the teams involved in each phase and task of the works.
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7
PRODUCTION AND PERFORMANCE ESTIMATE
The Contractor must be able to provide a production estimate with different risk level (P50 and P90)
given the exact specifications of the photovoltaic plant.
The meteo source, to be used in the production estimates, must be a source with at least 10 years of
relevant data for a location not further than 20km away from the site or with interpolated values specific
to the site. The accuracy of the meteo source must be proven by literature. The meteo source must be
able to provide an average expected yearly irradiation value and the yearly climate variation or year to
year values.
The system is to be simulated using software or a method that is widely accepted in the photovoltaic
industry (e.g. PVSyst, PVSOL, ).etc.).
From the meteorological data, combined with the simulation of the PV system, the Contractor must
provide the first year P50 and P90 (long term) specific yield value and an estimated production forecast
for 25 years, taking into account degradation backed up by references.
The following loss components are required for the simulation.

Far shading loss (horizon line)

Soiling losses

Near shading losses (obstacles, buildings, trees, etc.)

Snow losses

Reflection

Irradiance dependencies

Quality related losses (related to product variance)

Temperature dependencies

Spectral dependencies

Mismatching

Cabling (DC as well as AC)

Inverter losses

Transformer losses

Availability losses

Auxiliary consumption losses
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8
PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY TEST DEFINITION
The Contractor will be bound to offer a Minimum Performance and Availability Guarantee during the
first two years after provisional acceptance. The Performance and Availability Test methodology will be
discussed in this section.
8.1
PERFORMANCE RATIO ALGORITHMS
The performance ratio (PR) is defined according to the standard CEI EN 61724 (CEI 82-15) as:
PR 
Yf
Yr
(1)
Yf is the final PV system yield, that is the net AC energy output divided by the nominal DC power of
the installed PV System. It represents the number of hours that the PV System would need to operate
at its rated power to produce that amount of energy. The value for Yf is calculated by equation 2:
Yf 
E
Pn
[kWh / kWp]
(2)
where:
Yf = final PV System yield
E = System net AC energy output in kWh
Pn = System nominal power in kWp
Yr is the reference yield that is the total in-plane irradiance H divided by the PV’s reference irradiance
G. It represents the equivalent number of hours necessary for the array to receive the reference
irradiance. If G equals 1 kW/m2 , then Yr is the number of peak sun-hours. The Yr defines the solar
radiation resource for the PV system. It is in function of the location, orientation of the PV array, and
month-to-month and year-to-year weather variability. The value for Yr is calculated by equation 3:
Yr 
H
G
[(kWh/m2) / (kW/m2)]
(3)
where:
Yr = reference yield
H = total in-plane irradiance in kWh/m2
G = reference irradiance (usually 1 kW/m2)
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The performance ratio (PR) calculated by the equation (1) is Yf divided by Yr. By normalizing with
respect to irradiance, it quantifies the overall effect of losses on the rated output due to inverter
efficiency and wiring mismatch, and other losses when converting from DC to AC power; PV module
temperature; incomplete use of irradiance by reflection from the module front surface; soiling or snow;
system down-time and component failure.
8.2
AVAILABILITY ALGORITHMS
Availability will be measured at the output terminals of the direct current connection boxes upstream of
the inverters, on the basis that the presence of voltage in output terminals of the connection box means
that the aforesaid connection box is available.
Availability will only be measured over the period of time when the average irradiation exceeds the
minimum inverter irradiation threshold of 30 W/m², and it will be determined for each of the inverters.
Once the minimum threshold is exceeded, the availability will be measured in fifteen minutes reference
periods. The inverter availability is calculated for each of the inverters; the plant annual availability is
calculated from the individual inverter availability calculation for all inverters in the solar power plant.
The production data of the inverters output terminal data will be continuously monitored for each
inverter and the data will be stored in paper and in electronic version. This information will be used for
the calculation of the annual availability and any clarifications or dispute that may arise later.
The following equations will be used to calculate the inverter availability and the plant annual
availability:
Inverter Availabili ty (%) 
 OT  TnAC *100
TOT
Where:
TOT
Total Theoretical Operating Time. [Min]. It accounts the Total amount of time in which
an inverter i exceeds the minimum irradiation threshold of 30 W/m²
OT
Operating time. [Min]
TnAC [Min]
Time of non-availability with causes not Attributable to the Contractor. During these
periods, all inverters are considered as available. In this case, the operator must provide satisfactory
evidence.
The Operating Time is calculated as the time when each inverter was considered as available. The
criteria is that there is voltage in output terminals of the connection box and the ratio of the actual
production Pi,ind divided by the average Production PAV of all inverters exceeds 0.85.
This criteria is applied with the granularity of 15 min periods. For such period of computation:
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
if Pi,ind/PAV > 0.85, the inverter i is considered as available,

if Pi,ind/PAV < 0.85, the inverter i is considered as not available,
Pi,ind
actual production of the inverter i in fifteen minutes period
PAV
average production of all inverters in fifteen minutes period.
8.3
DEFINITION OF GUARANTEED AND EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE
RATIO AND AVAILABILITY
In order to evaluate the compliance with the minimum performance and availability guarantees, the
minimum values guaranteed for both parameters are compared, and must be lower than, the effective
performance ratio (PReff) and annual effective availability (Aeff). These concepts are introduced in
order to correct for the module degradation and to exclude the stopping periods as discussed in next
sections.
The Contractor should propose a Minimum Guaranteed Performance Ratio of XX (TBF) and a
Minimum Guaranteed Availability of YY (TBF). The absolute MGA is 98%. Contractors will be
evaluated based on their proposal for this value.
MGPR = XX
MGA = YY
The effective values are calculated as follows:
PReff = Eeff * G / Pn * f * H
Where:
Eeff : is the production of electric energy (in kWh) measured at the point established by grid operator
ENEL at high voltage
G:
is the standard irradiance value, meaning the value representing the instantaneous power of the
solar radiation which hits a orthogonal plane surface in standard conditions, equal to 1000 W/ m2
Pn :
is the nominal peak power (in kW) of the System in standard conditions STC
f:
is a correction factor due to the panel's performance degradation and modules technology
H:
is the value of the irradiation in (kWh/m2) measured in the plane of array under the
measurement using the sensor devices specified in 4.4.2.
On the base of the above assumptions, the annual effective availability (Aeff)) for the System is
calculated as follows:
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Total Inverters
Aeff 
 Inverter Availabili ty (%)
i 1
Total Inverters
Exclusion periods
In the calculation of the PReff and/or Aeff, several exclusion periods are considered. These include:
stopping periods due to theft, vandalism, Force Majeure events, power outage of the national electricity
grid for reasons not attributable to the Contractor, or in case of wilful misconduct or gross negligence of
the Grid operator; a maximum limited to 48 hours per year corresponding to scheduled maintenance
activities carried out pursuant to the O&M Contract.
8.4
LIABILITIES AND LIQUIDATED DAMAGES
The performance and availability guaranteed will be evaluated twice over a period of two years; first
time, one year after Provisional Acceptance Tests during the Intermediate Acceptance Tests and a
second time two years after the Provisional Acceptance as part of the Final Acceptance Tests and
Acceptance of the plant. Effective performance ratio and annual availability will be calculated according
to the protocol discussed in previous section.
If, after year one, the performance and/or availability measurements result in lower values than those
guaranteed at the contract, the root cause for such under performance should be identified and
corrected in order to enable the plant to comply with the contracted guarantees. Losses of income
incurred over the measured year could be claimed. The magnitude of the liquidated damages will be
determined in the EPC contract..
If, after year two, performance and/or availability measurements result in lower values than those
guaranteed at the contract, the Employer should be entitled to claim from the EPC Contractor
liquidated damages. Such Liquidated Damages should be agreed on the Contract and be related to a
certain percentage of the contract price per each percentage of difference between the contracted and
the real performance and/or availability. Penalties should be calculated so the loss in revenue over a
period of 20 years for each missing performance ratio and/or availability percentage is covered by the
compensation system.
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9
INSPECTION, TESTING & ACCEPTANCE TESTS
9.1.1
Introduction
The Contractor conducts tests to evidence achievement of the completion milestones. The
Employer may conduct his own tests and inspections, request additional tests of the Contractor or
supervise tests conducted by the Contractor, without casing unnecessary delay and subject to due
notice. The Contractor shall compile checklists of their tests and inspections for the Employer
approval.
9.1.2
Mechanical Completion Test
The purpose of the Mechanical Completion Test (MAT) is to ensure that all parts of the Facility have
been physically completed and installed correctly and according to the As-built documents.
Once the mechanical completion of the installation is achieved, the Contractor will proceed to energise
the facility and to carry out the Tests for Completion to ensure each component of the plant is working
properly and in accordance to the national and local grid codes.
At this point, the facility would be ready for acceptance. The commissioning procedure follows the IEC
62446 and is divided in three stages the Provisional Acceptance Tests, Intermediate Acceptance Tests
and the Final Acceptance Tests. The first phase, the provisional acceptance tests, will happen after the
tests on completion is performed by the Contractor and will include a performance and availability test
for a period of at least 30 days of available data production.. The final acceptance tests happen two
years after the provisional commissioning. It includes a verification of the snag list presented in the
provisional commissioning and a performance and availability verification over a period of two years.
Electricity Distribution Grid Technical Code Compliance Tests
These tests shall be as outlined in the Connection Agreement and the Distribution/Grid Code and are
required to be completed before the power plant can be deemed Grid Code compliant.
It is the responsibility of the Contractor to manage the delivery of a Grid Code compliant power plant,
including management of the grid code compliance testing process and agreement and provision of
any interfaces between the Grid operator and the Generator Supplier. The Contractor shall liaise with
the Generator Supplier to deliver the required certificate from the grid company.
In advance of actual Grid Code compliance testing, the Contractor shall complete a series of pre-tests
to ensure that Grid Code compliance can be achieved and to avoid any non-compliance during the
tests.
Unless otherwise stated prior to commencement of the tests, Eskom’s Distribution Standard for
Interconnection for Embedded Generation (DST 34-1765) shall be followed.
It shall be confirmed as a minimum that following are acceptable:

Insulation resistance of all components

String Voc, ISc, Vmpp and Impp are as expected

String I-V curves are as expected

Thermographic imaging detects no hot-spots on modules, combiner boxes and

switchboards
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
All inverters are functional and export power

Power factor settings are correct

Isolation switches are effective

Protection devices are correctly calibrated, set and operating

Communications are functional (internally and externally to Monitoring System)

Alarms and signals are function correctly

Meteorological station is functioning

Monitoring system is functioning and remotely accessible

Monitoring system UPS is functioning
These tests shall commence as soon as reasonably practicable after completion of commissioning.
9.2
PROVISIONAL ACCEPTANVE TESTS (PAT)
The provisional acceptance tests procedure occurs after each individual component of the PV
installation has been commissioned (MAT) and the Grid Completion Tests has been achieved. The
provisional acceptance tests of a PV plant has to follow IEC 62446 Edition 1.0 2009-05 (“Grid
connected photovoltaic systems – Minimum requirements for system documentation, acceptance tests
and inspection”) this. This standard is based on:

IEC60364;

IEC/TR 60755:2008;

IEC 61557 (all parts);

IEC 61730-1.
The tests consist of:
Performance Ratio (PR) Test of the entire Facility to confirm quality of design, construction and correct
operation.

Visual Inspection to confirm quality of materials and construction and confirm the plant is defect
free for the purposes of commercial operation

Functional Test to confirm correct operation not directly related to performance

The provisional acceptance tests must be supervised and approved by an Independent Technical
Advisor.
9.2.1
Documentation requirements
The minimum documents which have to be provided are as follows:

Basic system information;

System designer information;

System installer information;

Wiring diagram: General, Array specification, PV string information, Array electrical details,
earthing and overvoltage protection, AC system;

Datasheets;

Mechanical design information;

Operation and maintenance information;

Tests results and acceptance tests data.
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9.2.2
Verification
Inspection
Before the provisional acceptance tests testing can start, the following steps have to be validated:

Initial verification to verify that the requirements of IEC60364 are met;

Inspection according to IEC 60364-6 (“Low-voltage electrical installations – Part 6: verification”)
including at least :

System designed according to IEC 60364-7-712;

Class II on DC side;

DC components sized for continuous operation at 1.25.Isc and 1.2.Voc (IEC 60634-7712.433:2002);

Double insulated cables so that to achieve IEC 60364-7-712.522.8.1:2002 and to limit earth fault
and short-circuits;

Wiring part designed to resist to specific environmental requirements (IEC 60 364-7712.522.8.3:2002);

Verification of the module overcurrent protection (IEC 60634-7-712.433:2002);

Presence of a DC switch connector on the DC side (IEC 60364-7-712.536.2.2.5:2002);

Verification of the adequacy of the blocking diodes (IEC 60364-7-712.512.1.1:2002);

Verification of the earth connection as in IEC 60364-7-712.312.2:2002;

Protection against overvoltage/electric shock;

Verification of the AC system;

Verification of the labelling and identification.
Testing
The testing part has to be done in accordance to IEC60364-6 and includes:

Tests of all the AC circuits;

Verification of the continuity of protective earthing and/or equipotential bonding conductors;

Polarity tests;

String open circuit voltage test;

String short circuit current test;

Functional tests;

Insulation resistance of the DC circuit.
An IR camera inspection can be carried out to detect potential temperature-related issues in the
modules and it-cabling. It is not mandatory but recommended as it allows detecting at an early stage
defects on the materials.
Lastly, a Performance and Availability Verification is to be performed according to the procedure
specified in Chapter 8 for a period of at least 30 consecutive days.
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Verification reports
An acceptance tests report should summarize the outcomes of the tests and verifications carried out,
namely:

Description of the system and the circuits verified;

Record of the inspection and tests results;

Date of the next verification;

Signature of the responsible persons.
A template is provided in IEC 62446 Edition 1.0 2009.05.
9.3
INTERMEDIATE ACCEPTANCE TESTS
A Performance and Availability Verification is to be performed according to the procedure specified in
Chapter 8 for a period of 1 year.
A visual inspection of the modules is executed to check for any defects. A thermal analysis (using
thermal camera) is made on the Plant to check for possible defects.
9.4
FINAL ACCEPTANCE TESTS
The final acceptance tests will take place 2 years after the provisional acceptance tests. During the
final acceptance tests, all remarks made during provisional acceptance tests (snag list) are verified.
A Performance and Availability Verification is to be performed according to the procedure specified in
Chapter 8 for a period of 2 years.
9.5
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR TAKING OVER
The Taking-Over Certificate will not be issued until all of the minimum requirements listed below have
been met:
All Works as per the Contract are complete.
Tests on Completion have been passed and approved by the Employer.
Final O&M manual for the Works has been issued to the Employer.
List of Open Points has been agreed and signed by the Employer and Contractor.
Provisional and Final Acceptance tests Acceptance test have been successfully done meeting the
minimum guaranteed performance and availability over the periods of analysis.
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10
TRAINING OPERATIONAL & MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
The Contractor shall provide comprehensive training and technical support to the Employer’s staff to
operate and maintain the Plant. CSIR’s staff will assist with basic operations, maintenance and safety
related tasks of the Facility.
The courses shall be targeted at different levels of personnel including plant operators and specialist
maintenance personnel.
Dates for training shall be incorporated in the commissioning and shall take place prior to take over of
the Works.
10.1 Training Programme 1
The training programme shall include, as a minimum:

Basic concepts on Solar PV technology

Theoretical introduction to commissioning and test programmes.

Practical introduction to the correct use of maintenance manuals.

Basic trouble shooting and fault finding.

Safety Procedures for operating and maintaining the plant.

Theory and practice of electrical power system. Operational activity that is permissible by the
Employer’s personnel during the warranty period.

Safety methods for equipment isolation during maintenance.

Description of the electrical system including details of LV and data cable routes.

Identification of protection relays and equipment.

Review of protection relay settings.

Description interface with any existing substation equipment and with the utility grid.

Replacement of minor parts (e.g. fuses)

Safety access, operation, and maintenance procedures where special procedures are required
which would not be familiar to experienced, qualified/registered personnel.

Monitoring and interpret a performance report
The Contractor shall provide comprehensive course notes and shall include ‘hands-on’ practical
sessions on the Works. Operating and technical manuals, including drawings shall also be provided
within the training.
Training manuals shall be provided to all delegates attending training courses. The manuals shall be
developed specifically for the Works and shall be specific to the level of training provided.
The training manuals shall reflect the course structure and shall be developed in a manner that will
provide the delegate with a quick reference guide to the various aspects of the system following the
course.
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10.2 Training programme 2
CSIR Energy Centre is supporting the Science Engineering and Technology Industry Internship
Programme (SETIIP) through multiyear intakes of 2 - 4 engineering students (one year programme).
The main objective of the TLIU SETIIP programme is to increase the graduation rate of science,
engineering and technology students through the provision of structured practical work exposure and
training (fulfilment of Practical 1 and Practical 2 university requirement). The Contractor is thus required
to accommodate and assist in the execution of TLIU SETIIP programme during the planning/design,
installation and the O&M period.
The SETIIP requires a work integrating learning (WIL) portfolio, including for example:
•
Skills developed on the preliminaries of engineering problem identification and assessment (How
are problems indicated and verified?).
•
Skills developed in providing and validating specification and design of equipment systems
associated with an engineering problem in a particular technology field.
•
Realistic or synthesised problems associated with the technology under discussion.
•
Integration of prior academic and WIL knowledge in solving engineering problems.
•
Skills developed in the integration of the latest technology, applications of regulations (SANS) in
the solution to the engineering problem (Emphasis on modern technology & efficiency).
•
Cross-disciplinary skill development, applications or observed potential, linked to other branches
of engineering during the task.
•
Skills development and technical approach to personal, inter-personal & workplace attitudes.
•
Competencies developed to function, independently or as a team member.
The exact modalities, term and conditions, i.e. the Contractor’s obligations to accommodate and assist
in the execution of TLIU SETIIP programme are yet to be determined. To illustrate the SETIIP a work
integrating learning (WIL) portfolio form is available in the tender document package.
10.3 Training programme 3
In liaison with the merSETA (MANUFACTURING, ENGINEERING AND RELATED SERVICES
SECTOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING AUTHORITY), a Sector Education Training Authority (SETA)
in terms of the Skills Development Act, and the GIZ’s Skills for Green Jobs programme (S4GJ/German
International Development Cooperation), CSIR Energy Centre is a collaboration partner for the purpose
of a pilot implementation project of the newly developed PV Mounter occupational part-qualification,
guided by the Qualification Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) qualification and assessment
model. The Contractor is thus required to accommodate and assist in the execution of this training
programme during the installation period.
The qualification is pitched at level 2 of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and carries 84
credits (one credit is based on 10 notional hours). The purpose of this part qualification is to prepare
the learners to operate as a Solar PV Mounter who mounts pre-designed PV systems according to
instructions. Applicable modules of this part qualification are:
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(i)
Knowledge Modules:
•
Workplace fundamentals, Credits 9
•
Tools, equipment and materials, Credits 7
•
Components of PV systems, Credits 20
Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 36
(ii)
Practical Skill Modules:
•
Mitigate and respond to hazards associated with PV system installation and maintenance,
Credits 8
•
Work at heights, Credits 4
•
Use tools, measuring instruments and equipment, Credits 7
•
Install the mechanical components of a PV system, Credits 10
Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules: 29
(iii)
Work Experience Modules:
•
Structured planning and communication processes in the workplace, Credits 4
•
Processes to install mechanical components of PV systems, Credits 15
Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 19
During the installation period the Contractor is required to accommodate and assist in the execution of
the Practical Skill Modules (partly) and in all aspects of the Work Experience Modules. The exact
modalities, term and conditions, i.e. the Contractor’s obligations to accommodate and assist in the
execution of this training programme are yet to be determined.
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11
OPERATIONAL & MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
11.1 OPERATION & MAINTENANCE (O&M) MANUALS
The Contractor shall provide comprehensive O&M manuals to enable the Employer to safely operate
and maintain the Plant. The manuals shall be indexed and shall contain a detailed contents list in all
volumes clearly identifying the contents of the entire O&M manual and of each folder. The O&M
manuals shall provide in hard and soft copy formats. Three hard copies shall be provided. The content
of the O&M manual will be discussed during negotiations for a maintenance contract.
11.2 OPERATION & MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES
The Contractor shall carry out all necessary operations and maintenance activities during the defect
liability period to achieve the energy production in accordance with the objectives and any regulations
in force (for the avoidance of doubts: until receipt of final acceptance certificate).
Main objectives of the Maintenance Services will be to maintain in good working order to achieve the
expected technical availability, and, as necessary, to inspect, refurbish, repair, replace, modify and test
so that the plant, machinery, equipment or facility concerned may be Operated at all material times.
These activities shall include, but not limited to:

Regular Operation

Scheduled Maintenance

Preventive maintenance as per manufacturer manuals and best practice

Daily plant performance and functional monitoring

Administrative and financial services

Management of alarms and events

Predictive maintenance as per manufacturer manuals and best practice

Corrective maintenance:

Quarterly performance and O&M reporting (including O&M logbook)

Spare parts management

Management of the Insurance Policies
11.3 PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
Regular and professional checks and measurements, along with the replacing of parts subject to wear
and the maintenance of the system units of the plant, help to optimize ongoing operation and to uphold
system availability. These precautionary measures can ensure that time-consuming system failures are
avoided.
The preventive maintenance should follow manufacturer manuals and best practice
The Contractor should present the minimum list of activities for Employer’s verification and approval
Preventive maintenance takes account of all components and systems installed in the plant, e.g.:

Modules
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
Mounting structures

Safety equipment

Electrical cabinets

Inverters
11.4 CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE
In the event of unexpected failures the Contractor should attend as quickly as possible to locating and
diagnosing the causes (24hr reaction time for resolving major defects and 48hr for minor defects) and
notify the Employer as soon as he becomes aware (same Business Day or beginning of next Business
Day if falls during the weekend)
This event will be considered as Facility Unavailability unless the Contractor probes with evidence that
is caused by of Force Major of others.
Once the event has been resolved, he will report the nature of the event and the actions taken to solve
it and avoid similar events in the future.
The Contractor will assist the Employer during preparation of warranty claims
11.5 SPARE PARTS LIST
The Contractor shall procure (and maintain for the duration of the O&M period) spare parts sufficient to
maintain the Facility adequately. The Contractor shall ensure that spare parts inventory is fully stocked
at the end of the O&M period.
11.6 REGULAR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE REPORTS
The Contractor shall compile quarterly reports of preventative and corrective maintenance
activities occurring in that period describing the activities conducted,. The should including but not
limited to:

Electricity Generated and Consumed (in KWh)

Measured Performance ratio

Technical Availability

Health, Safety and Environmental follow up

Summary on maintenance activities occurred during the month together with spare parts
management update.
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12
EXPERTISE AND TRACK RECORD
The Employer requires that the Contractor has sufficient experience and qualifications to design, build
and operate a photovoltaic plants of this scale.
The Contractor is to provide CV's of personnel for the following fields/functions:

Project Management

Site Management

Construction Management

Quality Officer

Security Officer and/or Accident Prevention Officer
The CV's will show the number of years of experience in the renewable industry and specifically in
photovoltaics. The relevant project and function experience is to be pointed out.
The Contractor shall demonstrate prior experience in delivering Engineering, Procurement and
Construction services as a Lead Contractor on at least 5 (five) roof top mounted photovoltaic solar
project in the world with installed capacity greater than or equal to 1 MWp. Sub-contraction of part of a
works will not be accepted as sufficient experience.
The Contactor’s Project Manager as named in the list of Key People in the Contract Data shall be
permanently based in South Africa. This person need not be a Permanent Resident or Citizen of South
Africa but shall be permanently located in South Africa for the foreseeable duration of the works.
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13
DOCUMENTATION
The Contractor shall provide a complete set of documentation for review covering the design,
installation, commissioning, maintenance and operation of the works. The Contractor shall incorporate
the Employer’s comments into the documents and re-issue where requested. All documentation shall
be submitted via a transmittal sheet to record issue and receipt. All documents shall be submitted in
English. All documents shall be submitted in hard copy (three number) and electronic formatAll
drawings shall be in English and made in accordance with the IEC/ISO drawing standards. Metric units
of measurement (SI) shall be used. Drawings shall be provided in pdf and source format (e.g.
AutoCAD).
Within four weeks of the Commencement Date, the Contractor shall submit a comprehensive drawing
schedule showing all proposed drawings and documents to be produced. All documents or drawings
shall demonstrate clear compliance with the requirements of the Contract.
13.1 DOCUMENTATION TO BE PROVIDED PRIOR TO COMMENCEMENT ON
SITE
The Contractor shall provide the following site specific documentation and update same as required
during the contract period:

Project Baseline Program

Construction Health and Safety Plan

Proposal for changes order and Notices

Work permits

Site Waste Management Plan
13.2 DESIGN REVIEW
In sufficient time to achieve the base line programme schedule, the Contractor shall submit detailed
design information for review by the Employer. A design review meeting will be held by the Employer
and Contactor to formally review the detailed designs. The documentation for design review shall be
made available at least two weeks prior to the design review meeting and shall include the following:
Nr
Name
Type
Description
D1
Implantation
schematic
Technical
drawing
Technical drawing of the site with:
 Unambiguous labelling of strings,
arrays and inverters.
 Localisation of wiring, junction
boxes, inverters, substation, grid
connections, connection point
building, etc.
 Localisation and dimensions of
obstacles.
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Nr
Name
Type
Description
D2
Single wire
diagram
Technical
drawing
Complete identification of :
 Number of modules per string.
 Labelling of all strings, arrays,
inverters.
 DC and AC cabling and cable
conducts: length, cross-section,
type.
 Protection devices, junction boxes,
switches, inverters, transformers.
 Metering equipment.
 Monitoring equipment.
 Security equipment.
 Grid connection equipment in
accordance with the local grid
regulations
D3
Structural plan
Technical
drawing



Technical drawings of the
structural fastening of the PV
modules into the ground/ onto the
buildings.
Identification of the type of
profiles, screws, clamps.
Calculation note or analysis of the
stability of module mounting
structures.
D4
Product
quantification
Bill of
materials
Estimated quantities per product.
D5
Product
information
Technical data
sheets
Technical data sheets are provided for
(at least): PV modules, DC cables,
protection devices, inverters, switches,
monitoring equipment.
D6
Product
certification
Certificate
Product certificates are provided for
(at least) the PV modules, the
inverters and the islanding protection.
D7
Product
guarantee
Contract
Definition of product guarantee on (at
least) PV modules, inverters,
transformers and monitoring
equipment.
D8
Project plan
and
organisational
chart
Design
documentation





D9
Monitoring
plan
Design
documentation
General description of project
management.
Identification of project manager
(curriculum vitae).
Identification of all subcontractors
(company presentation).
Specific references of project
manager and all subcontractors.
Gantt chart of the project planning.
Description of the parameters
monitored, the monitoring frequency,
the storage capacity, the data flow
model and the user interface.
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Nr
Name
Type
Description
D10
Preventive
maintenance
plan
Design
documentation
Description of the preventative
maintenance actions foreseen and
their frequency (N.A. if O&M contract
is provided).
D11
Corrective
maintenance
procedures
Design
documentation
Description of the corrective
maintenance procedure for the most
likely random failure (N.A. if O&M
contract is provided).
D12
Design note
structural
stability
Design
documentation
Calculation note with respect to the
stability of the structure, on which the
installation is built (buildings, land,
etc).
D13
Design note
PV sizing
Design
documentation
Calculation note with respect to PV
sizing and expected system yield and
performance ratio.
D14
Design note
grid
connection
Design
documentation
Design note with respect to grid
connection of the PV system.
D15
Fault
procedures
Design
documentation
Description of procedures that should
be followed in case of breakdowns or
other errors of the decoupling device
(N.A. if O&M contract is provided).
D16
Flash tests
Design
documentation
Flash tests of all the modules used in
the project (if available).
D17
Pictures
Images
Photos of the site and potential
obstacles should be supplied if
available.
D18
Meteo Data
(if available)
Data
Documentation
Irradiation data measured on site on a
hourly basis. Other meteorological
data such as temperature and wind
speed if available
Description of the measuring
equipments and their technical
specifications
D19
EPC Contract
Contract
EPC Contract
Note : the technical documents of the design phase for the connection of the PV-plant shall be
approved by the grid operator prior to purchasing any material.
13.3 DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED PRIOR TO TAKEOVER
At least two months prior to the Takeover date for the Works, the Contractor shall provide draft
versions of the following documents for review:

Safety File

Operation & Maintenance Manuals

Maintenance schedule including intervals
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
As-Built Drawings

Acceptance report

Environmental File

List of PV modules flash tests

Calibration certificates of the meteorological sensors and meters

Datasheet of the electrical equipment
A Takeover Certificate for the Works will not be issued until final versions of these documents have
been received to the satisfaction of the Employer.
All as-built documentation submitted by the Contractor shall include a drawing naming and numbering
system and title block to the satisfaction of the Employer.
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ANNEX A
LIST OF APPLICABLE OF STANDARDS AND CODES OF
PRACTICE
Below are listed (non exhaustive) the international norms the PV system has to comply with. The
general reference is mentioned; the latest version of the norm at the date of the plant development is to
be considered:
South African National Standards (SANS)
SANS 97 (Electric cables-Impregnated paper-insulated metal-sheathed cables for rated voltages
3.3/3.3 kV to 19/33 kV)
SANS 474/NRS 057 Code of practice for electricity metering
SANS 780 (Distribution Transformers)
SANS 1029 (Miniature substations for rated a.c. voltages up to and including 24 kV)
SANS 1063 (Earth rods, couplers and connections)
SANS 1213 (Mechanical cable glands)
SANS 1339 (Electric cables - Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulated cables for rated voltages
3,8/6,6 kV to 19/33 kV)
SANS 1507 (Electric cables with extruded solid dielectric insulation for fixed installations (300/500 V to
1 900/3 300 V) (All parts)
SANS 1874 (Switchgear - Metal-enclosed ring main units for rated a.c. voltages above 1 kV and up to
and including 36 kV)
SANS 1885 (AC metal-enclosed switchgear and controlgear for rated voltages above 1 kV and up to
and including 36 kV)
SANS 10142-1 (The wiring of premises Part 1: Low-voltage installations)
SANS 10142-2 (The wiring of premises Part 2: Medium-voltage installations above 1 kV a.c. not
exceeding 22 kV a.c. and up to and including 3 MVA installed capacity)
SANS 10198 (The selection, handling and installation of electric power cables of rating not exceeding
33 kV) (all parts)
SANS 10199 (The design and installation of earth electrodes)
SANS 10200 (Neutral earthing in medium voltage industrial power systems)
SANS 10292 (Earthing of low-voltage distribution systems)
SANS 10313 Protection against lightning - physical damage to structures and life hazard
SANS (IEC) 60076 (Power Transformers – All Parts)
SANS (IEC) 60529 (Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP codes)
SANS (IEC) 60947 (Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear)
SANS (IEC) 62271 (High-voltage switchgear and controlgear (All Parts))
NRS
NRS 013 (Medium Voltage Cables) 44
NRS 031 (Alternating current disconnectors and earthing switches (up to 145 kV))
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NRS 029 (Current Transformers)
NRS030 (Inductive Voltage Transformers)
NRS 048 (Electricity Supply: Quality of Supply)
NRS 053 (Accessories for medium-voltage power cables (3,8/6,6 kV to 19/33 kV))
NRS 074-1 (Low-voltage (600/1 000 V) cable systems for underground electrical distribution Part 1:
Cables)
NRS 074-2 (Low-voltage (600/1 000 V) cable systems for underground electrical distribution Part 2:
Accessories)
NRS 088-1 (Duct and direct-buried underground fibre-optic cable Part 1: Product specification)
NRS 088-2 (Duct and direct-buried underground fibre-optic cable Part 2: Installation guidelines)
NRS 089-1 (Maintenance of electricity networks – Part 1: Underground Distribution Networks)
NRS 089-3-2 (Maintenance of electricity networks Part 3: Substations Section 2: Power transformers,
circuit-breakers, isolators and instrument transformers)
NRS 089-3-3 (Maintenance of electricity networks Part 3: Substations Section 3: Miniature substations,
distribution transformers and electrical enclosures)
NRS 097-2 (Grid Connection of embedded generation Part 2)
IEC
IEC 60287: (Electric cables – Calculation of the current rating – All Parts)
IEC 62305 (Protection against lightning – All Parts)
IEC 60364 (Low-voltage electrical installations – All Parts)
IEC 60364-7-712 (Requirements for special installations or locations - Solar photovoltaic (PV) power
supply systems)
IEC 61215 (Crystalline silicon terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) Modules - Design qualification and type
approval)
IEC 61643-11 (Low-voltage surge protective devices - Part 11: Surge protective devices connected to
low-voltage power systems - Requirements and test methods)
IEC 61643-11 (Low-voltage surge protective devices - Part 12: Surge protective devices connected to
low-voltage power distribution systems - Selection and application principles)
IEC 61646 (Thin-film terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design qualification and type approval)
IEC 61936 (Power installations exceeding 1kV AC – All Parts)
IEC 61724 (Photovoltaic system performance monitoring - Guidelines for measurement, data exchange
and analysis) 45
IEC 62108 (Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules and assemblies - Design qualification and type
approval)
IEC 62109 (Safety of power converters for use in photovoltaic power systems)
IEC 62727 (Photovoltaic systems - Specification for solar trackers)
IEC 62817 (Photovoltaic (PV) module safety qualification)
IEC 60228 (Conductors of insulated cables)
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IEC 62116 (Utility-interconnected photovoltaic inverters - Test procedure of islanding prevention
measures)
IEC 60502-1 Power cables with extruded insulation and their accessories for rated voltages from 1 kV
(Um = 1,2 kV) up to 30 kV (Um = 36 kV) - Part 1: Cables for rated voltages of 1 kV (Um = 1,2 kV) and 3
kV (Um = 3,6 kV)
IEC 60502-2 Power cables with extruded insulation and their accessories for rated voltages from 1 kV
(Um = 1,2 kV) up to 30 kV (Um = 36 kV) - Part 2: Cables for rated voltages from 6 kV (Um = 7,2 kV) up
to 30 kV (Um = 36 kV)
Others
TÜV2 Pfg 1169 (Requirements for cables for use in photovoltaic-systems)
DST 34-1765 Distribution standard for the interconnection of embedded generation
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ANNEX B
PLANT TECHNICAL DESIGN AND PLANT TECHNICAL BILL
OF QUANTITIES FORM
Table 5: Bill of Quantities
Component
Brand
Type
Quantity
PV modules
String cables
String connectors
DC cables (other)
String boxes
Inverters
LV AC cables
Transformers
HV AC cables
HV substations
Mounting
structure arrays
Pyranometer
Module
temperature
sensor
Ambient
temperature
sensor
Anemometer
Data logger
Table 6: Design parameters form
Parameter
Value
Electrical configuration
No. of modules per string
No. of strings per inverter
Inverter
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Inverter maximum efficiency
Inverter European efficiency
Inverter warranty
Module
Module efficiency at STC
Module temperature coefficient
Module warranty
Module production guarantee
Transformer
Transformer loss class
Cables
Combined average DC losses
Combined maximum DC losses
Combined average AC losses
Combined maximum AC losses
Irradiance sensor
Pyranometer class
Field configuration
Row pitch
Module orientation
Array configuration
Module orientation
Module inclination
Module positioning
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ANNEX C
LOSSES BREAKDOWN FORM
Table 7: Losses breakdown form
Losses component
Value (%)
Far shading loss (horizon line)
Soiling losses
Near shading losses (obstacles, buildings, trees, etc.)
Snow losses
Reflection
Irradiance dependencies
Quality related losses (related to product variance)
Temperature dependencies
Spectral dependencies
Mismatching
Cabling (DC as well as AC)
Inverter losses
Transformer losses
Availability losses
Auxiliary consumption losses
Other losses, please specify.....................................
Performance Ratio (y0, initial)
PR (y1)
Yearly degradation factor
Light Induced degradation factor
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ANNEX D
PRODUCTION ESTIMATE FORM
Table 8: Production parameters
Parameter
Value
Irradiation
Performance Ratio (initial, before LID)
Power
P50 specific yield, y1
P90 specific yield, y1
Table 9: Monthly distribution
Month
Production share (%)
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
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Table 10: Production forecast
Year
P50 yield (MWh)
P90 yield (MWh)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
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ANNEX E
GRID CONNECTION - STANDAR SPECIFICATIONS
The Facility shall connect into the low voltage distribution board inside Building 17 which is to be
replaced under the scope of this Project. The Single Line Diagram and corresponding switchgear
specifications are provided in Figure E-1 and Table E-2, respectively. The Contractor is required to
supply, install and commission the distribution board, including that required for the integration of the
PV Facility under the scope of work.
Each switchgear shall feature its own meter.
BUILDING 17
Transformer 1
250 Kva
Incomer 1
400A
1
5
4
6
Transformer 2
250 Kva
Coupler 400A
2
7
Incomer 2
400A
3
9
8
10
350A Distribution board
200A Distribution board 7
200A Distribution board 70
200A Distributionboard 13
200A Distributionboard 1
16A Sockets sub -station
200A Distribution Board A-Block
Figure Annex E-1: Building 17 Main LV Distribution Board Single Line Diagram
Switchgear Number
Rating
1
400A
Discription
Main LV Incomer 1
2
400A
Coupler for Incomer 1 and Incomer 2
3
400A
Main LV Incomer 2
4
200A
Supply A-Block
5
16A
Single phase supply Substation
6
200A
Supply Distribution Board1
7
200A
Supply Distribution Board13
8
200A
Supply Distribution Board70
9
200A
Supply Distribution Board 7
10
350A
Supply Distribution Board B-Block
Table Annex E-2: LV Switchgear specifications
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Refer to the document:

Tshwane Electrical Standards 2010
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ANNEX F
PICTURES
Pictures obtained from the CSIR Roof Assessment Report - Rev 0 by SiVEST
Building 17
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ANNEX G
HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS
Refer to document Health and Safety
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ANNEX H
AUTOCAD DRAWINGS
The following drawings are included in digital form:

ED_PR108348_ 13334-1300.1 AND 1301.1 BUILDING 17 REV B.dwg
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ANNEX I
ROOF ASSESSMENT
The following roof assessment study document is enclosed in digital form:

CSIR Roof Assessment Report - Rev 0
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QUALITY INFORMATION
Author:
Teresa Gonzalez/Pierre Francois Drouin/Juan L.Agarrado
Verified by:
Juan L. Agarrado
05/11/2015
Signature:
Approved by:
Pieter Joseph
05/11/2015
Signature:
Template V. 12.13
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