scope:

This document sets forth a uniform approach to maintain type approval, design and safety qualification of terrestrial PV modules that have undergone or will undergo modification from their originally assessed design. This document addresses two types of PV module technologies, wafer-based technologies (WBT) and monolithically-integrated (MLI) thin-film based technologies.

Changes in material selection, components and manufacturing process can impact electrical performance, reliability and safety of the modified product. This document lists typical modifications and the resulting requirements for retesting based on the different test standards. It provides assistance; at some level, engineering judgement may be needed.

The test sequences are selected to identify adverse changes to the modified product.

Those products successfully following the herein defined test sequences are considered to be compliant with the standard against which they have originally been assessed in a full qualification.

The number of samples to be included in the retesting program and the pass/fail criteria are listed in the referenced standards IEC 61215 and IEC 61730. In addition, a representative sample may be used as described in IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 as applicable.