List of applicable standards for equipment of solar photovoltaic and Certifications - Green Energy
Introduction
A reliable and safe product is a fundamental necessity for any investment. Product certifications can demonstrate or describe the quality, durability, safety, and longer life of a product. Also, the test reports claim that the product has achieved a specific performance benchmark in accordance with international standards.
Therefore, photovoltaic equipment (panels, batteries, inverters, cables...) must also comply with a series of regulations and standards to qualify them before they can be considered for sale or installation in a specific location.
Certificates for solar equipment
Although each project or local regulatory authority, i.e. local or national government, may have its own regulations or standards for any product that must be met by installers or contractors, some types of product certification Typically required are CE marking, FCC and CB program.
CE : CE marking is a European conformity mark which indicates that a product meets the essential requirements of European Union directives. It represents a declaration by the manufacturer that a product complies with the minimum safety, health and environmental requirements of all relevant EU directives.
FCC: The FCC is a required certification mark for electronic equipment and electronic devices manufactured or sold in the United States. This marking certifies that a specific product complies with Federal Communications Commission standards for electromagnetic interference.
CB: The CB Scheme is an international program established and managed by the International Electrotechnical Commission for Electrical Equipment (IECEE). The CB Scheme is a global system of mutual acceptance of product safety testing reports and certificates. The Certification Body (CB) system of the IEC System for Conformity Assessment Systems for Electrotechnical Equipment and Components (IECEE) is the world's first international system for the mutual acceptance of safety test reports of products and certificates for electrical and electronic equipment, devices and components.
UL (Underwriters Laboratories): UL is a global safety certification body that tests and certifies a wide range of products, including solar photovoltaic equipment.
CSA (Canadian Standards Association): CSA is a Canadian standards body that tests and certifies a wide range of products, including solar photovoltaic equipment.
ISO 9001: ISO 9001 is an international quality management standard that can be applied to any organization, including solar PV manufacturers.
Field failures in a photovoltaic solar module
To get an idea of how many solar PV module failures may occur before use, we need to use external test data to develop accelerated stress tests to determine what possible failures of a PV module might be. When a PV module is subjected to rigorous testing, the following failures are observed:
- Broken interconnections
- Broken cells
- Corrosion
- Delamination and/or loss of elastomeric properties of the encapsulation
- Solder Joint Failures
- Broken glass
- Hot spots
- Ground faults
- Junction box and module connection failures
- Structural failures
- Bypass Diode Failures
- Open circuit leading to electric arc
International Solar Energy Standards
In addition to the above certificates, the manufacturer can certify its manufacturing process and solar PV modules to several standards depending on its manufacturing location or to target the sales market. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) USA released a 2016 benchmark list of standards for the PV industry, and is nicely represented here:
There are numerous references to standards applicable to photovoltaic modules and associated technologies. Here are some of the standards applicable to photovoltaic solar energy equipment :
Photovoltaic modules
IEC 61215 Ed 2.0 – Design qualification and type approval of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules.
IEC 61215 defines requirements for design qualification and type approval of terrestrial photovoltaic modules suitable for long-term operation in the general outdoor climates defined in IEC 60721-2-1.
IEC61730 Ed. 2 - Safety qualification of PV modules
If poorly constructed, solar panels carry a risk of electric shock-like any electronic and electrical device. The IEC 61730 standard addresses the safety aspects of a solar panel, encompassing both an assessment of the module construction and testing requirements to assess the electrical, mechanical, thermal, and fire safety and to show, to the extent of possible within reasonable constraints of cost and time, that the module is capable of withstanding prolonged exposure in general outdoor climates.
Another important consideration in the 2nd edition of IEC 61730 is the definition of equipment class. Four classes (Class 0, I, II and III) are defined in standard IEC 61140, “Protection against electric shock – Common aspects of installations and equipment”. The basic idea behind the courses is to classify electronic equipment according to the respective methods used to protect against electric shock. The class definitions in the revised IEC 61730 standards are now identical to those found in IEC 61140, i.e. Class 0, I, II, and III.
IEC 61646 – Design qualification and type approval of thin film photovoltaic modules.
IEC 61646 is an international standard that defines requirements for the design qualification and type approval of thin-film photovoltaic modules. It applies to all flat earth module materials not covered by IEC 61215, which concerns crystalline silicon modules.
Here are some of the environmental tests carried out according to the IEC 61646 standard:
- Temperature cycle
- Humidity Cycle
- Salt spray corrosion
- The UV radiation
- Mechanical shock
UL1703 - Safety qualification of PV modules.
UL1703 is a North American standard that defines safety requirements for photovoltaic modules. It is published by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), an independent certification body.
The UL1703 standard covers the following aspects of photovoltaic module safety:
- Fire protection
- Protection against electric shock
- Protection against mechanical shock
- Corrosion protection
- Protection against ultraviolet radiation
Inverter
IEC 61683: Safety requirements for inverters used in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems
IEC 61683 is an international standard that specifies safety requirements for inverters used in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The standard covers the following aspects of PV inverter safety:
- Electrical safety
- Mechanical safety
- Fire safety
- Environmental safety
- EMC (electromagnetic compatibility)
IEC 62109: Performance requirements for inverters used in photovoltaic systems
IEC 62109 is an international standard that specifies performance requirements for inverters used in photovoltaic (PV) systems. The standard covers the following aspects of PV inverter performance:
- Efficiency
- Power quality
- Harmonics
- Dynamic response
- Personal consumption
- Network synchronization
- Security
UL 1741: Similar to IEC 61683 in the US market
UL 1741 is a standard developed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) that specifies safety requirements for inverters used in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The standard covers the following aspects of photovoltaic inverter safety:
- Electrical safety
- Mechanical safety
- Fire safety
- Environmental safety
- EMC (electromagnetic compatibility)
- Anti-islanding
- Network Support Features
For more information, please find below all the standards for other solar equipment.
To download the file in PDF form, please click on the link below:
List of standards for equipment of solar photovoltaic and Certifications - PDF
REFERENCES:
1) “Solar Standards Development: An Overview of Product Standards” by SEIA; July 2016
2) “Fire Classification Rating Testing of Stand-Off Mounted Photovoltaic Modules and Systems” by Solar ABC; August 2013
3) “The Dawn of New PV Safety Requirements: IEC 61730 2ND EDITION” by Underwriter Laboratories
4) “Design Qualification and Test Approvals of Solar PV Modules” by TUV
5) “PV Panels & Modules: IEC/UL 61730 Compliance” by Intertek
6) “Transitioning to UL 61730-1 and UL 61730-2 from UL-1703” by Q-Cells
7) NFPA 70 - National Electric Code – 2020
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