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Codes and Certifications

The following are the main Agencies and Codes that set Standards in the Solar Energy Industry for equipment performance, integrity and safety. The Country of Origin is stated. Unless, otherwise noted, these Standards usually apply Industry wide, rather than just the country of the Agency.

AGENCY
CODE
COUNTRY
DESCRIPTION
Installation of Solar Systems      
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) PV Interconnection Standard 929-2000
USA (only)
Connection of Solar Systems to the Electricity Grid
International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 1727
Switzerland
PV characteristics of the Utility Interface
National Electrical Code* (administered by National Fire Protection Association) NEC Sec 720, also Article 690, 90-2
USA (only)
Electrical installations of PV Equipment. Recommended installation practices (March 2001)
       
Solar Energy Systems
PV GAP PVRS 1
Switzerland
Photovoltaic Stand-Alone Systems – Design Qualification and Type Approval
PV GAP PVRS 4
Switzerland
Photovoltaic (PV) stand-alone systems, with a system voltage below 50 Volts
PV GAP PVRS 9
Switzerland
Procedures for Determining the Performance of Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 519
USA
Recommended Practice and Requirements for Harmonic Control in Electrical Power Systems
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 1374
USA
Guide for Terrestrial Photovoltaic (PV) Power System Safety
International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 1194
Switzerland
Characteristic Parameters of Stand-Alone PV Systems
       
Solar Energy Components
International Electrotechnical Commission IEC (6)1215*
Switzerland
Crystalline silicon terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design qualification and type approval
International Electrotechnical Commission IEC (6)1646*
Switzerland
Thin-film terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design qualification and type approval
International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 1721
Switzerland
Susceptibility of a Module to Accidental Impact Damage (Resistance to Impact Test
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 1262*/**
USA
PV Module Qualification for performance & reliability
Underwriters Laboratories UL 1703
USA
Flat-Plate PV Modules and Panels
International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 904-1
Switzerland
An Electrical Performance Test (I-V curve data) is required to determine the module's peak output power.
International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 1829
Switzerland
Crystalline Silicon PV Array - On site Measurement of I-V Characteristics
International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 60904-3 #
Switzerland
Measurement Principles for Terrestrial PV Solar Devices with Reference Spectral Irradiance Data
PowerMark Corporation PMC Doc. PV-3
USA
Encompasses JPL Block V, CEC 503, IEEE 1262, IEC 1215, IEC 1646, and PVUSA.
PV GAP PVRS 2
Switzerland
Crystalline silicon terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules
European Solar Test Installation/ESTI CEC 701
Italy
Qualification Test Procedures for Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules
European Solar Test Installation/ESTI CEC 503
Italy
Qualification Test Procedures for Crystalline Photovoltaic Modules
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 937
USA
Recommended Practice for Installation and Maintenance of Lead-Acid Batteries for Photvoltaic (PV) Systems
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 1145
USA
Recommended Practice for Installation and Maintenance of Nickel-Cadmium Batteries for Photvoltaic (PV) Systems
Underwriters Laboratories UL 1741
USA
Standard for Static Inverters and Charge Controllers for Use in Photovoltaic Power Systems
PV GAP PVRS 6
Switzerland
Charge controllers for photovoltaic (PV) stand-alone systems with a nominal system voltage below 50 V.
PV GAP PVRS 8
Switzerland
Inverters for photovoltaic (PV) stand-alone systems
ASTM International E standards (E900-2000)
USA/Global
Photovoltaic cells and module integrity
Factory Mutual FM Approved
USA
Fire Protection tests for Solar Component products
CSA International (Canadian Standards Association) CSA 107.1
Canada
Inverter testing
#derived from ASTM standard E892 (ASTM Standard Tables for Reference Solar Spectral Irradiance at Air Mass 1.5: Direct Normal and Hemispherical for a 37° Tilted Surface, Standard G159-99, American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken, PA. 1999.)

Also listed as:
ISO (1992). 9845-1 Solar energy-Reference solar spectral irradiance at the ground at different receiving conditions, pt. 1, International Organization for Standardization, Geneva.
Manufacturing Plants
International Organization for Standardization ISO 9000: 2000
Global
A management system that provides confidence in the conformance of the product to established or specified requirements
International Organization for Standardization ISO 9001: 2000
Global
A management system to provide product that meets customer and applicable statutory or regulatory requirements, and enhance customer satisfaction by improving your quality management system
International Organization for Standardization ISO 9004: 2000
Global
A management system to extend the benefits obtained from ISO 9001:2000 to all parties that are interested in, or affected by, your business operations, including employees, owners, suppliers and society in general
International Organization for Standardization ISO 14001
Global
Implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS) in accordance with defined internationally recognized standards

* Satisfaction of International Standards IEC 1215 and IEC 1646 is an equivalent standard to the IEEE Standard 1262.
Other Standards/Testing Organizations
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 1819 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA Tel: 1 202 293 8020
Fax:
1 202 293 9287
Arizona State University/Photovoltaic Test Laboratory Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory Arizona State University EAST 7349 East Unity Avenue Mesa, AZ 85212 USA Tel: 1 480 727 1220
Fax:
1 480 727 1223
E-mail: ptl@asu.edu
Fraunhofer-UMSICHT
(German/English language)
Osterfelder Strabe 3 D-46047 Oberhausen, Germany Tel: 49 2 08 / 85 98 - 0
Fax:
49 2 08 / 85 98 - 2 90
E-mail: info@umsicht.fhg.de
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) India Habitat Center Complex, Core-4A, East Court, I Floor, Lodhi Road, NEW DELHI-110003 Tel: 91 11 464237
Fax:
91 11 4602855
E-mail: mdireda@hotmail.com
Institut fur Solare Energieversorgungstechnik (ISET) Konigstor 59 D-34119 Kassel, Germany Tel: 49 561 7294-0
Fax: 49 561 7294-100
E Mail: mbox@iset.uni-kassel.de
Japan Quality Assurance Organization (JQA) (also see AIST below) 1-21-25 Kinuta, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-8573, Japan Tel: 81 3 3416 0128
Fax: 81 3 3416 9691
E Mail: JQA00127@nifty.ne.jp
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8562 Tel: 81 298 61 2500
Fax: 81 298 61 2538
E Mail:
Newcastle PV Applications Centre University of Northumbria, Ellison Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST Tel: 44 191 227 4595
Fax: 44 191 227 3650
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Measurements and Characterization) 1617 Cole Blvd. Golden, CO 80401 USA Tel: 1 303 275 3000
E Mail: keith_emery@nrel.gov
Sandia National Laboratories PO Box 5800 Albuquerque, NM 87185 USA Tel: 1 505 844 2154
Codes and Certifications

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