Amendments of Guideline CEI 82-25, Version 1, in force
On 01 November 2011 Version 1 of Guideline CEI 82-25 was brought into force, containing necessary upgrades according to evolution rules and law and taking into account the development of CT 82, in collaboration with other committees and organizations outside the CEI.
In particular, some changes were introduced, including the following major ones:
- Update of quality control of photovoltaic modules;
- Additional performance evaluation of photovoltaic systems in regards of power and energy.
In order to allow extended operation in the outdoor environment, these photovoltaic modules have to be produced respecting different quality standards, i.e. they have to have suitable electrical, thermal and mechanical characteristics.
The verification of these features is done by the following rules:
- IEC 61215 for crystalline silicon modules;
- IEC 61646 for thin film modules;
- IEC 62108 for concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules.
The compliance of modules with such requirements is documented by a positive test result and is shown in the following documents:
a) Test Report and Certificate of Type Approval (Type Approval Certificate), both have to be issued by an accredited laboratory for specific tests specified by the standards of accreditation bodies or members of the EA established according to mutual recognition agreements in the fields of EA or ILAC.
b) Certificate of conformity (Conformity Certification)
c) Certificate of inspection of the production process in the factory (Factory Inspection Certificate)
d) Certificate of process control in the factory (Factory Inspection Attestation) to identify the origin of the product.
e) OEM Certificate (Original Equipment Manufacturer Certificate).
The documents b), c), d) and e) have to be issued by a Certification Body respecting the following requirements:
- Accreditation according to EN 45011 for photovoltaic modules issued by organizations belonging to the EA or having established mutual recognition agreements in the fields of EA or IAF (International Accreditation Forum);
- Member of the IECEE PV sector.
According to Version 1 the importance of laboratory accreditation and the certification body issuing the test documentation to ensure full compliance with the safety of photovoltaic modules is evident.
TÜV InterCert, a leading global certification company for photovoltaic modules, has got accreditation according to EN 45011 and membership of IECEE. It also cooperates with accredited laboratories in order to conduct tests according to the requirements of Guideline CEI 82-25.
For further information we remain at your disposal:
Product Certification Office
Att. Ing. Piero Zanchetta
Ph. +49 (0) 228-6297500
Fax +49 (0) 228-629750 20
E-Mail: photovoltaic@tuv-intercert.org