The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued the schedule of implementation of the Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices, and Component Goods (Requirement for Compulsory Registration under BIS Act) Order 2017, which was issued in September last year.

The new order comes on the heels of the MNRE order in March 2018, in which the MNRE had revised the schedule of implementation of the order.

In its latest notification, the MNRE has specified that in the case of solar PV modules, the manufacturers can submit a self-certification stating that their products conform to the relevant Indian standards or their International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) counterparts along with the proof of submission of samples to the laboratories and the expected date of completion of testing. This relaxation will be applicable till June 30, 2018.

In case the material for which self-certification is being done is IEC certified, then it is sufficient for the self-certification to be accompanied by the IEC certificate and test reports.

In case of imported material for which self-certification is being given, the self-certification can be given either by the manufacturer or the importer.

April 16, 2018 has been fixed as the date of implementation of quality control order for crystalline silicon terrestrial PV modules (Si wafer based), thin-film terrestrial PV modules (a-Si, CiGs and CdTe), PV modules (Si wafer and thin film without fire test), power inverters for use in photovoltaic power system up to 100 kW, and utility-interconnected photovoltaic inverters up to 100 kW.

The date of implementation for quality control order for PV modules (Si wafer and thin film) with fire testing is July 1, 2018. Date of implementation of the quality control order for power inverter for use in photovoltaic power system above 100 kW and utility-interconnected photovoltaic inverters above 100 kW has been fixed to be October 1, 2018.

Mercom recently 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.