Attending the Solar Quality Summit in Barcelona

In February 2025, Solkeys had the pleasure of participating in the Solar Quality Summit held in Barcelona. This event brought together leading professionals, experts, and stakeholders from across the photovoltaic (PV) sector to discuss pressing challenges and innovative solutions shaping the future of solar energy.

Our attendance provided a valuable opportunity for networking—reconnecting with long-time colleagues, forging new relationships, and exchanging ideas with industry peers. Some key takeaways from the Solar Quality Summit are:

• Increasing rates of system degradation: Recent data presented at the conference indicate a marked rise in PV system degradation and failures, underscoring the need for robust maintenance and quality management throughout a system’s lifecycle.

• Quality beyond automation: While automation and AI-driven manufacturing are advancing rapidly, the consensus among experts is clear—these technologies alone do not guarantee high-quality outcomes, they need to be implemented correctly.

• The real cost of quality: Skimping on quality assurance, whether during the design phase or in operational practice, often leads to substantial long-term costs. The message from industry leaders was unambiguous: cutting corners can end up costing three times more than investing in proper quality measures from the outset—and in some cases, the consequences can be even more severe.

• Need for global standards: As solar deployment accelerates worldwide, the lack of a uniform, global conformity assessment system poses ongoing challenges. Industry practices remain inconsistent across markets, emphasizing the importance of harmonizing quality standards.

• Innovation in the reuse market: There is still much creative thinking required to establish sustainable, safe, and ethical business models for the reuse of PV components. The sector looks forward to new guidance, such as the upcoming IEC Technical Report 63525, which promises to offer crucial support in this area.

Solkeys is committed to promoting best practices and advancing quality in solar energy. We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in events like the Solar Quality Summit and to continue engaging with the community towards a more reliable and sustainable PV industry.