Management and Administration of the International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Committee No. 82 Photovoltaic Energy Systems Secretariat

Howard O. Barikmo, Sunset Technology, Inc., e-mail: hbarikmo@aol.com

ABSTRACT

Standards are strategic business tools that help develop new global markets. US participation ensures foreign market access to US technology—and vice versa. Participants help to eliminate non-tariff trade barriers. Participation keeps one on the cutting edge of current technology and market trends. This paper describes the organization of Technical Committee 82, (TC-82) Photovoltaics, of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and its various working groups that write standards for the international photovoltaic industry. 1. Objectives The objective of the TC-82 Secretariat is to effectively manage the activities of the several Working Groups (WG) of the Committee. This paper delineates the efforts that have resulted in published standards and lists those standards that are in process of being written. 2. The IEC Mission

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. 3. TC-82

PV standards have been trailblazing other distributed generation standards. Chairman of TC 82 is Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink, JRC, Ispra, Italy; Howard O. Barikmo is the Secretary, Sunset Technology, Scottsdale, Arizona.

The working groups of TC-82 are: WG1: Glossary (Convenor: Hidenori Shimizu, Japan) Task: To prepare a glossary. WG2: Modules, non-concentrating (Convenor: Dr. John Wohlgemuth, USA) Task: To develop international standards for non-concentrating, terrestrial photovoltaic modules. WG3: Systems (Convenr: Dr. Markus Real, Switzerland) Task: To give general instructions for the photovoltaic system design, construction and maintenance. WG6: Balance-of-system components (Convenor: Mr. Chuck Whitaker, USA) Task: To develop international standards for balance-of-system components for PV systems. WG 7: Concentrator modules (Convenor: Dr. Robert McConnell, USA) Task: To develop international standards for photovoltaic concentrators and receivers.

4. Published Standards WG 1. GLOSSARY 1. IEC 61836: 1997, Solar photovoltaic energy systems – terms and symbols WG 2. MODULES IEC 60891: 1992 Am 1, Procedures for temperature and irradiance corrections to measured I-V characteristics of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) devices. Amendment No 1 (1992) IEC 60904-1: 2006, PV-Part 1: Measurements of PV current-voltage characteristics IEC 60904-2: 1989, Photovoltaic devices – Part 2: Requirements for reference solar cells. IEC 60904-3: 1989, Photovoltaic devices – Part 3: Measurement for principles for terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) solar devices with reference spectral irradiance data IEC 60904-5: 1993, Photovoltaic devices – Part 5: Determination of the equivalent cell temperature (ECT) of photovoltaic (PV) devices by the open-circuit voltage method. IEC 60904-7: 1998, Photovoltaic devices – Part 7: Computation of spectral mismatch error introduced in the testing of a photovoltaic device IEC 60904-8: 1995, Photovoltaic devices – Part 8: Guidance for spectral measurement of spectral response of a photovoltaic (PV) device. Second edition (1998) IEC 60904-9: 1995, Photovoltaic devices – Part 9: Solar simulator performance requirements IEC 60904-10: 1998, Photovoltaic devices – Part 10: Linearity measurement methods IEC 61215: 2005, Ed 2.0 Crystalline silicon terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design qualification and type approval (WG2) IEC 61345: 1998, UV test for photovoltaic (PV) modules IEC 61646: 1996, Thin film silicon terrestrial PV modules – Design qualification and type approval IEC 61701: 1995, Salt mist corrosion testing of photovoltaic (PV) modules IEC 61730-1: 2004, Ed. 1.0, PV module safety qualification – Part 1: Requirements for construction, IEC 61730-2: 2004, Ed. 1.0, PV module safety qualification – Part 2: Requirements for testing, (WG 2) IEC 61853-1, Power and energy rating of photovoltaic (PV) modules – Power Rating, (WG 2) IEC 61853-2, Power and energy rating of photovoltaic (PV) modules – Test Methods (WG 2)

IEC 61853-3, Power and energy rating of photovoltaic (PV) modules – Energy Rating (WG 2) WG 3. SYSTEMS IEC 61194: 1993, Characteristic parameters of stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) systems IEC 61277: 1995, Guide: General description of photovoltaic (PV) power generating systems IEC 61683: 1999, PV systems – Power conditioners – Procedure for measuring efficiency IEC 61702: 1995, Rating of direct coupled photovoltaic pumping systems IEC 61724: 1998, Photovoltaic system performance monitoring – guidelines for measurement, data exchange and analysis IEC 61725: 1997, Analytical expression for daily solar profiles IEC 61727: 2004, Ed. 2.0, Photovoltaic (PV) systems - Characteristics of the utility interface (WG 3) IEC 61829: 1995, Crystalline silicon PV array – On-site measurement of I-V characteristics IEC 62124: 2004, Ed. 1.0, PV stand-alone systems - Design qualification and type approval, (WG 3) WG 6 BALANCE-OF-SYSTEM COMPONENTS JCG TC21/TC82, PV BATTERIESIEC 61427: 1997, Secondary cells and batteries for solar photovoltaic energy systems – General requirements and methods of test JCWG IEC 62257: 2003, Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 1: General Introduction to rural electrification. IEC/TS 62257-2: (2004 “Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification - Part 2: From requirements to a range of electrification systems.” IEC/TS 62257-3: 2004 - Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 3: Project Management IEC/TS 62257-4: 2005, Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 4 : System selection and design IEC TS 62257-5: 2005 Ed. 1.0, Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 5: Protection against electrical hazards 5. Projects with Publication Imminent* IEC 60904-2: Ed. 2, (CDV) Photovoltaic devices – Part 2: Requirements for reference solar cells. (WG 2) IEC 60904-3: Ed. 2, (CDV) Photovoltaic devices – Part 3: Measurement for principles for terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) solar devices with reference spectral irradiance data

IEC 60904-4: (CD) Photovoltaic Devices – Part 4: Procedures for establishing the traceability of the calibration of reference solar devices. IEC 60904-6: 1994, Photovoltaic devices – Part 6: Requirements for reference solar modules. WITHDRAWN. Combined with 60904-4. IEC 60904-7: Ed. 2, (CDV) Photovoltaic devices – Part 7: Computation of spectral mismatch error introduced in the testing of a photovoltaic device IEC 60904-8: Ed. 3 (WD), Photovoltaic devices – Part 8: Guidance for spectral measurement of spectral response of a photovoltaic (PV) device. IEC 60904-9: Ed. 2 (WD), Photovoltaic devices – Part 9: Solar simulator performance requirements. IEC 61173: 1992, Overvoltage protection for photovoltaic (PV) power generating systems WITHDRAWN IEC 61646: Ed. 2 (CDV) Thin film silicon terrestrial PV modules – Design qualification and type approval. IEC 61701: Ed. 2 (WD) Salt mist corrosion testing of photovoltaic (PV) modules IEC 61721: 1995, Susceptibility of a module to accidental impact damage (resistance impact) WITHDRAWAL. IEC 61836 Ed. 2.0, (CD) Solar PV energy systems – terms and symbols, (WG 1) IEC 61829: ED. 2, (WD) Crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) array - On-site measurement of I-V characteristics (WG 6). IEC 62108 Ed. 1.0, (CDV) Concentrator photovoltaic (PV) receivers and modules - Design qualification and type approval, (WG 7) IEC 62109-1 Ed. 1.0, (CDV) Electrical safety of static inverters and charge controllers for use in photovoltaic (PV) power systems, (WG 6) IEC 62109-2 Ed. 1.0, (CDV) Electrical safety of static inverters and charge controllers for use in photovoltaic (PV) power systems, (WG 6) IEC 62116 Ed. 1.0, (CDV) Testing procedure - Islanding prevention measures for power conditioners used in grid connected photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems, (WG 6) 6. Upcoming in 2007 NP on charge controllers and stand-alone inverters; more rural electrification guidelines; maintenance cycles on existing standards; review needs for wafer or cell standards; examine need for organic thin film technology design qualification standard. Next meeting: Not finalized but probably in May, 2008.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was supported under NREL

Subcontract No. AEJ-5-55159-01 PVC67101.