Gearing Up For New Solar Module Standards: Do We Have Enough Labs?
In order to eliminate the substandard solar modules flooded in India, the Ministry of New Renewable Energy (MNRE) issued new set of quality norms and standards for all solar equipments this month. The order mandates the sellers and makers of solar modules, one of the key components of solar projects, to get their products registered under quality parameters set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
This mandatory move by the government comes at the wake of Indian market being flooded by cheap Chinese modules with questionable quality. However, as the industry braces for the new order, do we have enough infrastructure, in this context laboratories, for testing the modules and enforcement of the order for the latest move to not become a costly bureaucratic hurdle for the industry?
“We are in the process of implementing a Lab Policy for Testing, Standardization and Certification for RE Sector. The objective is to set up a robust Testing, Standardization and Certification services for quality and reliability assurance for the entire RE sector in the country. The standards may also be revised or updated matching the progression in technology,” says Dr BK Negi, Advisor, MNRE.
Dr Negi also mentioned that more labs accredited with NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) are in a process to be set up soon. Apart from the government labs, there are private players, mostly foreign that have been accredited by the government to carry out the relevant certifications.
“We are planning to double our capacity for renewable energy to support manufacturers in improving quality compliance. We are also working with our global market access team around the world to ensure that manufacturers in foreign markets understand the new regulation for solar equipment in India and comply with it,” says Suresh Sugavanam, VP and MD, UL South Asia, one of the first laboratory accredited by the government to carry out module testing.
Sugavanam goes on to mention that in the current scenario there are 4-5 laboratories, both private and government run, with full capabilities and 2-3 laboratories with partial capabilities that are adequate to handle the testing load. The time frame of a year is enough to add new laboratories to the ecosystem and for existing labs to scale up their capabilities, according to Suresh.
According to Kalyan Varma, VP of Business Field Electrical, Products, Global of TÜV Rheinland, another private accredited certification body in India, the order will provide the much needed impetus to the industry in terms of quality with the company itself planning to add up more laboratories in other parts of India in the near future.
Simplifying the process, Suresh explains, there are three major aspects of the BIS Compulsory Registration Programme for solar equipment. Firstly, the programme mandates in-country testing. Any panel to be sold in India must be tested in India, by a laboratory recognized by BIS, which will also be subject to regular audit by the BIS.
Secondly, manufacturers of solar equipment must register with the BIS where they will be given a unique number for identification. This is different from the licensing scheme of the BIS, which is a much more extensive process.
The third significant aspect is that there will be a surveillance mechanism were panels can be tested at random from the market, from the manufacturing sites, to check if they have gone through the rigours of step 1 and 2. This is a tight quality control is designed to prevent poor quality panels and equipment from getting installed at site.
The new order has been welcomed by most of the industry leaders as it strengthens the backbone of the solar projects with quality check. But at the same time it poses a risk in terms of project delays and price rise, given the fact that 70 per cent of the modules are imported.
“The one year duration provides sufficient time for the manufacturers to plan their budgets and streamline processes and increase capacity in a phased manner to ensure unhindered supply to the market. Testing laboratories are well-equipped to understand and test according to the requirements of the IS standard and in parallel, BIS will need to add capability and capacity over the coming year,” said Sugavanam who doesn’t see any major project delay risk as manufacturers can continue to supply with IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) certification until the regulation is implemented.
IEC is an international certification which is adopted by majority of global module suppliers, including China.
There have also been arguments that the new order is no different from those of the IEC. Lot of experts say that the only real change would be the inspections on site within India and the mandate to obtain an India-approved registration which is counter argued by experts.
“The Indian Standard encapsulates all the critical technical requirements in the IEC Standard. Coupled with the mandate of in-country testing, periodic monitoring by the BIS and recognition of laboratories on the basis of quality and technical capabilities, the ultimate outcome is that the solar industry in India will become far more technically oriented than it is today. Most importantly, by mandating surveillance, the new regulation is addressing the government’s primary concern about substandard equipment in the solar industry,” adds Sugavanam.
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