Certifications and tests: all the quality indices for solar panels

16 Oct, 2017
Solar Training

Solar panels often come with numerous certifications and have passed various tests validated by different organizations, making it challenging to sort through them. So, we’ve done it for you; which tests are most important to check, which organizations issue the certifications and how to assess their credibility, and what standards should your panels meet? Find the answers in this article.

The Information to Check

Performance Ratio: Measured and published by the PHOTON laboratory every month. It gives a good idea of the panel's performance. Ideally, choose ratios around 90% and above.

Anti-PID Test: PID stands for "Potential Induced Degradation." This degradation is primarily due to high operating voltage that causes negative static charges to form through the encapsulation. A current discharge is created, generating a positive polarization on the cell's surface. This phenomenon, amplified by high temperatures and humidity, leads to significant and irreversible power losses. Many manufacturers now test for this effect and guarantee anti-PID on their products.

Anti Hot-Spot Test: The hot-spot effect corresponds to a significant dissipation of energy as heat due to the overheating of a deficient or shaded cell. This deficiency can damage the entire panel or reduce its performance, as the deficient cell blocks current flow in all other cells. To prevent this, panels are equipped with diodes in the junction boxes that counteract this effect, and manufacturers test their effectiveness to provide an additional guarantee to their customers.

Other Tests and Information

Tests in Specific Conditions: Panels are tested under certain specific conditions that may be important to consider depending on the environment of your photovoltaic installation. We particularly refer to ammonia resistance tests for installations on agricultural buildings or salt resistance for homes near the sea. Depending on the region, also pay attention to snow and wind loads.

Integration into the PV Cycle: Knowing that your panel manufacturer has a recycling scheme for your installation by being a member of the PV Cycle network, which sets up collection points for used panels, is also a criterion to consider. It is a quality assurance, not of the panel itself, but of the company’s commitment to sustainable development.

Standards and Certifications

European CE Standard: Attributed to equipment EN 12975 and EN 12976.

Quality Standards for Panels: These are particularly the IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 standards, which can be issued by several certification bodies.

Quality Standards for Cells: These are the NF CEI 31215 and NF CEI 61646 standards.

"Made in" Certification: Whether products are made in France, Europe, or elsewhere, this certification, when issued by a competent body, guarantees the origin of your equipment.

GS Certification: This is a German quality certification recognized worldwide. The GS marking of solar panels is therefore a good proof of their quality.

Certification Bodies

VDE: An independent auditing, testing, and certification company based in Berlin, recognized as an authority worldwide. It tests all kinds of electronic equipment, components, and systems.

TUV Rheinland: A technical service provider based in Cologne but operating in 65 countries, it is a reference in photovoltaic systems. The TUV group verifies the information provided by manufacturers in terms of performance and the tests carried out on panels.

SGS: For once, SGS is a Swiss (not German) inspection and certification body based in Geneva. It is the world leader in the sector in terms of revenue.

O Solaire: This is not really a certification body but a brand created by the ENERPLAN committee in collaboration with solar energy industries and awarded to distinguish quality products meeting European standards. The brand is intended not only for photovoltaic panels but also for various combined systems operating on solar energy.

OKO-Test: You will sometimes see the OKO-test symbol on some product data sheets. This is not a label but a distinction awarded by the German consumer protection magazine of the same name. This distinction is awarded based on evaluation criteria concerning health and environmental aspects, after analysis of the products by independent laboratories and a dedicated scientific committee.