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The economic success in operating photovoltaic systems depends essentially on the possibility of their long-term operation and delivery of the expected energy yield. Twenty to twenty-five years are often presupposed. These are high demands. A precondition is the good quality and long-term stability of the employed products, in particular the PV modules, as well as all other components and materials, and the non-appearance of damages to these items during transport and handling. In addition, the PV systems must be professionally planned, properly implemented and professionally operated with appropriate maintenance measures. Not only the quality of the PV modules is important, but also the quality of planning and installation of the overall system that pose high risks for long-term protection of profitability. The influential factors for the financial risk are not limited to the technical and safety-relevant risks. The risk assessment of photovoltaic projects must include an evaluation of the location regarding on-site risks and evaluation of the logistical risks in connection with the installation of the system., 1st Africa Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition Proceedings, AfricaPVSEC 2014

26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition; 4283-4289, Large scale PV power plants have been one driver for the strong growth of installed PV capacity in the last years. Those large plants require significant financial investments and therefore the owner is aiming for highest quality of his solar farm which in his terms means yield and reliability leading to a high annual energy production. As a part of a quality assurance procedure, a measurement method during the commissioning of PV power plants is presented in this paper. In order to really demonstrate the power capacity of the power plant, methodology and measurement set up to derive STC power from actual power measurements have been developed. Power blocks up to 2 MW can be tested at a time. The method bases on a proposal from the Spanish IES solar research institute but has been modified for the requirements of the commercial power plant business. Test laboratories responsible for calibration standards for measurement equipment and PV reference devices are in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025.