Quality and compliance

How pre-qualification and tendering processes determine access to markets in the future

On 1 January 2023, a new law on the professional due diligence in supply chains will come into effect in Germany. Questions of material origins and liability are therefore discussed at a new level, making it necessary to re-evaluate the processes within companies everywhere in the solar industry. Transparency, compliance and the voluntary exceeding of legal requirements are becoming important quality markers.

The tendering process of EPCs and operators in the international solar markets anticipated this development: suppliers are ever more frequently subjected to a stringent pre-qualification process. To be accepted into a pool of selected suppliers approved by procurement departments, these suppliers must prove compliance with an extensive catalogue of criteria. As well as the legal requirements, this also takes into account the individual selection markers of the client. The result is a process that has completely redefined the criteria for market participation for manufacturers and suppliers.

MEISER Solar: pre-qualified partner of renowned EPCs worldwide

MEISER Solar has gone through the pre-qualification processes of a vast number of renowned EPCs both here and abroad. We don't merely want to deliver an excellent frame system to EPCs and operators; we also want to generate real added value through the greatest level of transparency and care.

This is why our quality standards do not only extend to our mounting systems, but also to how we tackle the pre-qualification processes of our clients. Of one thing we are certain: flawless traceability and transparency along the entire supply chai ensures stability and legal certainty for everyone involved.

Typical criteria for pre-qualification

Contracts from our clients regularly contain requirements for adhering to international, national and regional standards and norms.

Certifications according to DIN, EN, IEC and ISO are part of the minimum standard. On top of this, national regulations such as Utility and DNO standards, netcodes for instance, for the installed power inverters, and compliance with the requirements of the energy ministries are also included.

Many operator companies also take up recommendations of trade or industry association such as VDE (Verband Deutscher Elektriker, Association of German Electrical Engineers) or the American Association of Iron and Steel Engineers (AISE) and require their contractors to prove that they have taken into account the respective requirements.

Typical compliance criteria for manufacturers of mounting systems

  • EN 1090-2
  • EN 1990
  • EN 1991-1-3
  • EN 1991-1-4
  • EN 1993 1-1
  • EN 1993-1-8
  • EN 1997
  • EN 1998-1
  • EN 1999-1-1
  • EN 1999-1-3