The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has released Draft Guidelines for series approval of SPV Modules for conducting testing in Test Labs for implementation of Solar Systems, Devices and Components Goods Order, 2025. The MNRE is seeking comments from stakeholders on these draft guidelines.
The guidelines aim to assist laboratories and manufacturers in forming series of product families for approval, encompassing changes in design and materials for performance testing of SPV Modules. This is in line with the compulsory registration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mandated by the aforementioned Goods Order.
Key aspects of the draft guidelines include
The guidelines define a product family based on the maximum configuration of components/sub-assemblies and how different models are constructed from this maximum. Common design, construction, parts, or assemblies essential for conformity are characteristic of models within a family.
For qualifying multiple power bins within the boundaries of IEC TS 62915, a minimum of two modules each from the lower, median (or next higher if median doesn’t exist), and higher end power classes must be tested. For extending a single power class to further bins, at least two modules from the lower and higher ends will be used for label verification.
For IV measurement of high capacitance PV modules, hysteresis loss should be minimized as per IEC 60904-1:2020 (less than 0.5%). If not, specific parameters related to high capacitance need to be reported.
Any changes in the Bill of Materials (BOM) within a product family will necessitate retesting, with appropriate charges levied by the test lab. Manufacturers are responsible for disclosing any modifications in design, materials, components, or processing from the last tested version.
The guidelines specify the number of samples required for testing according to relevant Indian Standards (IS 14286: 2023) and IS/IEC standards (IS/IEC 61730-1: 2023 and IS/IEC 61730-2: 2023). This includes requirements for marking on the modules and the submission of Bill of Materials and compliance certificates. Specific sample numbers are mentioned for performance and safety testing, including additional modules for certain tests like pollution degree reduction and cemented joints.
All modules submitted for testing must adhere to specific marking requirements, including manufacturer details, model number, serial number, nominal wattage with tolerance, and date/place of manufacture. Test laboratories are instructed not to accept modules lacking these details.
The MNRE has requested stakeholders to provide their comments on these draft guidelines June 11, 2025. Feedback can be sent to birinchi.bora@nise.res.in and rajkumarb.mnre@gov.in.
