Schenker, TÜV add logistics care for solar panels

DB Schenker and solar industry testing firm TÜV Rheinland will develop a system to detect in-transit damage to fragile photovoltaic modules.    DB Schenker and TÜV Rheinland, a solar industry testing firm, will develop a system to detect in-transit damage to fragile photovoltaic modules, including inspecting them during transport and validating their performance.
   The new monitoring and control system, DBSCHENKERpvchain, will provide transparency across the entire transportation route of solar modules – from the manufacturer’s plant through delivery to end customers. The development and testing phase for the product lasted more than a year, DB Schenker said.
   Between 5 percent and 10 percent of all solar panels are adversely affected by transportation, with their performance levels diminishing as a result, the logistics services provider added.
   “The newly developed control system inspects quality processes and packaging at the manufacturer’s facility and oversees procedures as the modules are dispatched. Furthermore, the modules are continuously monitored during transportation, with representative spot-checks of the delivered goods carried out at test laboratories developed by TÜV and located at DB Schenker incoming goods warehouses, such as the one in Antwerp,” DB Schenker said.
   The test information, as well as the results of the outgoing goods inspection at the manufacturer’s plant, are entered into a database, where they can be accessed by the recipient, the 3PL said.