PV Program Disclaimer

The Photovoltaic Projects at Sandia National Laboratories support the development and deployment of photovoltaic technology through research, testing, analysis, and technical assistance to industry and users. Sandia’s primary product is in-depth technical information regarding the performance and requirements for the technology. Sandia

• does not manufacture, sell, or install photovoltaic products or systems
• does not certify performance or endorse products or systems.

Sandia, and its contractors (hereafter Sandia), conduct laboratory and field tests that involve a wide range of photovoltaic hardware under a variety of environmental conditions for the express purpose of advancing the understanding and application of the technology. The test methods and the analysis techniques are normally reviewed in-house and by industry members whose business is directly related to understanding their products’ performance. We attempt to evaluate the performance under realistic conditions and within stress limits that will reveal detailed behavior of the components on their own and in concert with the other components in a system configuration. Information from the hardware evaluations is subject to the limits of the instrumentation and our knowledge. Analytical techniques and interpretations are constantly reviewed and updated.

The results of Sandia’s evaluations are documented and distributed on a case-by-case basis, consistent with the expectations of interested parties established prior to beginning an evaluation. In many cases the information is the result of proprietary, confidential, or otherwise restricted exchange with a contractor, or is otherwise sensitive. Such results are provided to the respective party only, and are to be further distributed only by Sandia and only after joint review and approval.

When appropriate, information is made available to the general public through conference papers and presentations, technical journals, web sites, and Sandia reports. These formal communications are subject to internal review and approval and represent our best effort to interpret the results based on the data at the time. We attempt to be as complete and accurate as possible in our interpretations and provide the reader with a context from which to apply the results.

Re-publication of Sandia information in whole or in part should always be accompanied by a complete citation of the original publicly available publication. Sandia discourages, but cannot prevent, release of information by other parties without a complete citation.