The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued a notification stating that the date of self-certification by solar module manufacturers of six products included in the Schedule order No. 2183 (E) has been extended from June 30, 2018 to September 4, 2018.

In September 2017, MNRE has issued “Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices and Components Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order to come into force from September 5, 2018. But the date was advanced to April 16, 2018 after consultation with various stakeholders including the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on the condition of self-certification by manufacturers.

The order was applicable until June 30, 2018, but the industry needed more time to comply with the order. Therefore, the date has now been extended.

Module manufacturers with an annual capacity of less than 50 MW are exempted from the BIS certification for two years (till September 4, 2020). To avail this benefit, they should have a valid IEC Certificate (either 2005 or 2016) for the period and it should have been obtained before April 16, 2018.

There will be an exemption from BIS certification in case the products are required for replacement, or as part of commitment or warranty in a previous project.

But to get this benefit, there should be a valid IEC certification for the product and only up to two such products would be allowed to be replaced per project per annum. In case, the replacement is more than two products, the manufactures will have to get the product tested in test labs as per Indian standards.

Mercom recently reported that MNRE issued a series of guidelines for conducting tests on solar modules (crystalline and thin film, including bifacial type). The tests are to be conducted by test labs for compulsory registration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for the implementation of the Solar Photovoltaics Systems, Devices and Component Goods Order 2017.

Mercom also reported on the dearth of test centers in the country. The announced National Lab Policy and Quality Control Order are adding a new wrinkle that could slow down project commissioning, according to solar project developers and manufacturers in the country.