IEC certifications: IEC 61215, IEC 61646 and more explained

IEC Certifications - About the International Electro Technical Commission 

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) certifications are widely recognized quality standard certifications throughout the solar industry. Following an overview about the major IEC PV module certifications:

 IEC 61215 / EN 61215 IEC 61215 Ed. 2 Aging of PV modules

The IEC61215 covers the parameters which are responsible for the ageing of PV modules. This includes all forces of nature:

  1. Sunlight incl. UV.
  2. Climate (changing of climate, coldness, warmth, humidity).
  3. Mechanical load (hail, wind suction, wind pressure, snow parameters which are responsible for the ageing of PV modules).
For the standard IEC 61215 certification, 2400 Pa uniform load applies. However:

When installing solar panels in areas with heavy snow, an increased load capacity of 5400Pa is advisable. This has been included in the IEC 61215 ed. 2. Nowadays many solar manufacturers produce according to this requirement. Solar system installers who do installation in areas with heavy snow should definitely use products with an increased load capacity: 5400 Pa.

IEC61646 Thin-Film PV Modules

The IEC 61646 certification is for Thin-Film PV modules and is in many aspects identical to the international standard IEC 61215 for crystalline modules. An additional test takes the degradation behavior of amorphous silicon due to temperature and irradiance exposure into account.

IEC 61730 / EN 61730 Safety qualifications

Photovoltaic (PV) module safety qualification, which was later issued as the European standard EN 61730 (almost similar). The IEC / EN 61730 consists of 2 parts: the first part covers all the requirements for construction and states the mandatory design characteristics of the modules. [caption id="attachment_1982" align="aligncenter" width="276"]IEC Certifications: IEC 61215 IEC Certifications[/caption] The second part consists of the requirements for testing. Part 2 of the IEC / EN 61730 defines three different Application Classes for a module design, specifying the type of use, the related qualification tests, and the resulting safety class modifications.

IEC 60364-4-41 Protection against electric shock

IEC 60364-4-41 is about protection against electric shock for low-voltage electrical installations; it describes personnel safety measures for electrical systems. For photovoltaic systems it suggests total insulation, which requires a special insulation of the PV modules (according to Safety Class II) on the basis of the following requirements:

  1. Durability
  2. High dielectric strength
  3. Mechanical stability
  4. Sufficient insulation thickness and distances

IEC 62108 Concentrator PV modules

A special certification for Concentrator PV (CPV) modules is necessary because the high concentration of the solar irradiance through lenses or mirrors causes higher stress on the equipment. The IEC 62108 standard specifies the criteria for the design qualification and type approval of concentrator photovoltaic modules and assemblies suitable for long-term operation in general open-air climates. The world's first IEC 62108 certificate for this technology was issued in June 2009 to California-based SolFocus.

IEC 61701 Salt mist corrosion resistance testing on PV modules

The IEC 61701 certifications stipulate standards regarding the resistance requirements of photovoltaic (PV) modules against salt mist corrosion. Solar installers that are operating in a highly corrosive atmosphere such as near the sea, the resistance of PV panels against the corrosive effects should be checked. It is crucial to use PV modules tested against salt mist corrosion certification in case the modules shall be installed near coasts or used for maritime applications.

Paul van der Ven
By

Paul van der Ven

on 15 Jan 2020

Hallo Dricus, Weet jij toevallig ook of er een Europese regelgeving is mbt het installeren van zonnepanelen?Bij voorbaat dank voor je reactie.Paul

Aarif
By

Aarif

on 15 Oct 2019

Kindly suggest livguard solar panel is ligible for on-grid solar system.

Amrutiya jay
By

Amrutiya jay

on 21 Aug 2018

Sir I need urgently IEC certificate for my solar PV module manufacturing industry

Chandrasekhar
By

Chandrasekhar

on 28 Jun 2018

Sir I need urgently IEC certificate for my solar PV module manufacturing industry

Anil Poluru
By

Anil Poluru

on 19 Nov 2017

How many days will it take for obtaining the certificate as per IEC 61215, IEC 61730 -1&2 (2005) and (2016)

Veera Raghavan Natarajan.
By

Veera Raghavan Natarajan.

on 15 Sep 2017

Mr. Niclas is absolutely correct. The certifying authority should conduct the same tests on representative samples after the commercial production has started to confirm the quality on the commercially produced item. Then only the certification should be confirmed.

Lin
By

Lin

on 21 Jan 2017

I am searching for the standard test condition and criteria of "light exposure test" on the silicon solar cell, can someone help to provdie this information? I have check IEC61646, but did not find the right information. Thank you very much.

Vijaykumar
By

Vijaykumar

on 03 Jun 2016

I am a test engineer in SPV lab. Kindly explain the Hot spot endurance test MQT-09 in the latest standard IEC 61215-2 : 2016. Its purpose and methods.

Tahar
By

Tahar

on 11 Aug 2017

Hi Vijaykumar, what is the difference between the old 2005 and the newest IEC61215_2016 in term of testing procedures ? thanks

Daft P.
By

Daft P.

on 30 Jun 2015

Thank you Niclas, that's helpful

Daft P.
By

Daft P.

on 25 Jun 2015

When I buy a solar panel with IEC 61215 certification, does it mean the quality of the solar panel is good? Or do I also need IEC 61730?

Niclas
By

Niclas

on 26 Jun 2015

Basically, certifications per se do not tell much about the quality of a module. If you buy a solar module with IEC 61215/ 61730/ 61701 etc. certifications, it means that the certification-holding manufacturer managed to produce a few modules of that type that passed a standard's (e.g. IEC 61215) tests at the time of applying for certification. When testing, the (prepared and) submitted modules undergo HALTs (highly accelerated life tests) that are not representative of standard real-world conditions. Moreover, most certification bodies do not perform regular check ups after the certification has been issued, leaving in theory (and praxis) many opportunities for (bad) manufacturers to cut quality corners while on paper holding that certification. Nevertheless, depending on where you want to install your panels, the certifications may still be required as per your national requirements or for example in order to apply for FIT.

mashiur
By

mashiur

on 15 Jun 2015

How can I have IEC 61215 give me a guide line.

Dricus
By

Dricus

on 15 Jun 2015

Hi Mashiur, To obtain IEC 61215 on your solar panels, you'll need to submit your panels with a certification body, such as TUV Sud, TUV Rheinland or VDE, and pass their stringent tests.It's quite a long process and will take at least 2-3 months and those certification bodies aren't cheap.. if you're using a standard product, it's sometimes easier to obtain panels from a manufacturer that's already certified.

Avneet prakash
By

Avneet prakash

on 10 Mar 2023

Dear Sir, please provide best certified company in IEC

JUGRAJ CHOUDHARY
By

JUGRAJ CHOUDHARY

on 26 Apr 2023

Required certificate IEC 61646 and IEC 62108

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