A GLOBAL APPROACH TO MODULE CERTIFICATION Presented By: Saranpal Rai Sunny Program Director Photovoltaic & Semiconductor Sunny.Rai@Intertek.com Tel: + 1 650 463 4650 SMET Advance PV Technology Conference InterSolar Munich, Germany May 28, 2009
Intertek Testing Services > Publicly Traded on London Stock Exchange since 2002 > ITRK, Part of Support Services Sector FTSE 100 > 2008 revenue - $1.8 Billion > More than 2,000,000 annual tests, inspections, certifications > Billions of products globally feature our certification marks > Market access to 195 countries on 6 continents > 89 Product Safety, Performance and EMC laboratories, globally > NRTL in the United States > Notified & Competent Body in the European Union > Fully accredited and Facilitiezed PV Module Testing Laboratories in > Orange County, California > Shanghai, China
Global Network: Intertek Group
Agenda Global Certification Standards Safety Performance Regional Certification requirements US, Europe & Asia Certification Challenges Control your destiny Data acceptance programs Summary
Global Standards US Certifications UL 1703 - Standard for Flat-Plate Photovoltaic Modules and Panels UL 1741 - Standard for Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use With Distributed Energy Resources UL 790 - Standard for Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Roof Coverings UL 8703 - PV Concentrator Requirements Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Module Requirements (Under Development)
Global Standards IEC Standards, European Certifications IEC 61730, Photovoltaic module safety qualification Part 1: Requirements for construction Part 2: Requirements for testing IEC 61215, Crystalline Silicon Terrestrial Photovoltaic (PV) Modules - Design Qualification and Type Approval IEC 61646, Thin-film terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules Design qualification and type approval IEC 61218, Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules and assemblies Design qualification and type approval IEC 60904-X, PV Devices measurement procedures and requirements
Module Component Standards PV Connector Requirements PV Junction Box Requirements PV Combiner Box Requirements PV Polymeric Material Requirements Substrates (published) Encapsulants Adhesives Sealants Frames
Regional Certification Requirements United States Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) Listing ETL, UL, etc. Individual State requirements California Energy Commission (CEC) ETL, ASU, FSEC etc. Florida Building related Other forthcoming European Union CE Marking (Regulatory) Market Driven Requirements Performance Testing to IEC Standards
Certification Challenges Time to Market Lengthy test requirements Long wait at Testing Laboratories Non-harmonized test procedures between Labs Region specific certification requirements Technology Limiting Standard development lags technology Small pool of experts & test laboratories Modifications & technology advancements Component Certifications
Overcoming Certification Challenges Internationally Accredited Laboratories Multiple accreditation & Test Locations US, Europe & Asia Participants in the CB Scheme Data acceptable by other CBTLs Globally Commercial organization Value time to market Take Advantage of the overlap Test Plan to combine Safety & Performance requirements Perform US & European certifications concurrently
Overcoming Certification Challenges Retest guidelines IEC published retest guidelines Test for changes only Industry Experts Designers and Manufacturers Data acceptance Programs (Satellite Program) Set up your own labs Perform your own testing Get into an accredited Test Labs DAP Manage your Time to Market
Retest Guidelines - Example TEST IEC METHOD from 61730 IEC method from 61215 or 61646 US equivalent from UL 1703 Change in Cell Technology Hot Spot Test (MST 22) Hot Spot Endurance (same 10.9) Hot Spot Endurance Reverse Current Overload (MST 26) CL 28 Temperature Test (MST 21) CL 19 Thermal Cycling 200 cycles, 10.11 SEQ Damp heat SEQ Outdoor Exposure 10.8
Summary Start Early Perform Design reviews with testing laboratories Select certified components Identify all target markets Select Laboratory with all Necessary accreditations Develop Tests Plan to take advantage of overlap Safety Vs Performance Between Regional requirements Use all available programs CB Scheme Data acceptance Programs (i.e. Satellite)
Thank You! Saranpal Rai Sunny Program Director Photovoltaic & Semiconductor Intertek 1365 Adams Court Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA Sunny.Rai@Intertek.com Tel: 1 650 463 4650