Global Trends and PV Testing Standards

October 25, 2011, WRITTEN BY SUNNY RAI, INTERTEK, Novus Media Today, LLC. - There are numerous opportunities for manufacturers of photovoltaic products and systems across the globe. The European solar energy market has been maintaining its growth, and the US market is continuing to grow. Japan and other Asia-Pacific markets present significant opportunities as the Japanese government has experienced rapid growth in the renewable energy industry. While this is definitely a market for manufacturers to follow closely, there are many opportunities for global growth in the solar space.

Global testing standards

As manufacturers continue to expand their products into new global markets, third party testing and certification companies like Intertek that assist in certifying solar and renewable energy products to global IEC and UL standards become increasingly important.

In the United States, there are two standards that focus on PV module safety. UL1703 covers flat-plate photovoltaic modules and panels, and UL1741 covers inverters, converters, charge controllers and interconnection system equipment. UL SUB 8703 is the current requirement for concentrated photovoltaic products.

In Canada, ULC/ORD-C1703-1 covers flat-plate photovoltaic modules and panels, and CSA22.2 No 107.1 covers general use power supplies.

There are also a number of international testing standards. IEC 61730-1 and IEC 61730-2 address photovoltaic module safety, IEC 61215 covers crystalline silicon terrestrial PV modules, and IEC 62670-1, IEC 62670-2 and IEC 62688 impact concentrated photovoltaic products. To qualify for acceptance in the UK, PV and wind products have to meet the MCS requirements, which is one of the EN45011 certifications.

Global market access

North American and European agencies such as the California Energy Commission (CEC), Department of Energy, International Electro-technical Commission (IEC), Natural Resources Canada and Japanese Photovoltaic Expansion Center (J-PEC) partner with testing and certification companies to provide test reports for national, international and state governments around the world to approve end-user subsidies for the use and installation of PV products. This helps manufacturers access over 40 global certifications.

Intertek has two solar energy laboratories, with Solar Energy Centers of Excellence located in Shanghai, China and Lake Forest, California. Both laboratories operate state-of-the-art equipment and can test and certify to North American and international standards for safety and performance. Intertek also operates photovoltaic and solar thermal laboratories in Plano, Texas; San Francisco, California; Taipei, Taiwan; and Guangzhou, China.