The certification is a first in the industry of a complete PV plant and reduces the risk for investors, VDE and Fraunhofer say in a joint release.

"The VDE Quality Tested Certification sets First Solar apart, as they have now passed the most rigorous quality assurance requirements at the PV plant/system level, thereby assuring a significant reduction of technical risk for the financial performance of First Solar systems," says VDE Americas president John Sedgwick.