International Electrotechnical Commission

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. The United States formed an IEC National Committee (USNC) to oversee the country's participation in IEC activities. The USNC is governed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The IEC promotes international cooperation on all questions of standardization and the verification of conformity to standards and often serves as the basis for national standardization and as references when drafting international tenders and contracts. The IEC standards include all electrotechnologies, which also includes photovoltaic systems for energy production and distribution.

IEC Technical Committee 82 (IEC TC82) covers photovoltaic systems. The U.S. Technical Advisory Group (USTAG) provides input from U.S. stakeholders into IEC TC82 standards.

Learn about the IEC Standards Development Process

The IEC PV Standards Development includes the IEC Technical Committee 82 Solar Photovoltaic Energy System (IEC TC82). The IEC TC82 develops and adopts all PV related standards. The scope of IEC TC82 is to prepare international standards for photovoltaic systems that convert solar energy into electrical energy, as well as for all the elements in the entire photovoltaic energy system. The IEC TC82 is comprised of five working groups, which are shown below.  Official members of the IEC TC82 working groups are assigned by the IEC National Committees on a project-by-project basis and by invitation only.

The TC 82 has written nearly eighty standards that pertain to photovoltaic.  Below is a listing of current work in progress for IEC PV standards organized by the assigned IEC Working Group:

WG 1 Glossary

IEC 61836, 2007 Ed 3, IEC/TS 61836 Ed. 3.0, Solar photovoltaic energy systems - Terms, definitions and symbols.

WG 2 Modules, non-concentrating

IEC 60891, 2009 Ed 2, IEC 60891 Ed. 2.0, Photovoltaic devices - Procedures for temperature and irradiance corrections to measured I-V characteristics

IEC 60904-1, 2006 Ed 2, Photovoltaic devices-Part 1: Measurements of PV current-voltage characteristics

IEC 60904-2, 2007 Ed 2, Photovoltaic devices – Part 2: Requirements for reference solar devices

IEC 60904-3, 2008 Ed 2, Photovoltaic devices – Part 3: Measurement principles for terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) solar devices with reference spectral irradiance data

IEC 60904-4, 2009 Ed 1, Photovoltaic devices – Part 4: Reference solar devices - Procedures for establishing calibration traceability

IEC 60904-5, 2011 Ed 2.0, IEC 60904-5 Ed. 2.0, Photovoltaic devices – Part 5: Determination of the equivalent cell temperature (ECT) of photovoltaic (PV) devices by the open-circuit voltage method

IEC 60904-7, 2008 Ed 3, Photovoltaic devices – Part 7: Computation of the spectral mismatch correction for measurements of photovoltaic devices

IEC 60904-8, 1998 Ed 3, IEC 60904-8 Ed. 3.0 Photovoltaic devices - Part 8: Measurement of spectral response of a photovoltaic (PV) device

IEC 60904-9, 2007 Ed 2, Photovoltaic devices – Part 9: Solar simulator performance requirements

IEC 60904-10, 2009 Ed 2, Photovoltaic devices – Part 10: Methods of linearity measurement

IEC 61215, 2005 Ed 2.0:  Scope of the work in progress includes design qualification and type approval for crystalline silicon terrestrial PV module, Ed 3; publish 4Q 2011.

IEC 61345, 1998 Ed 1, UV test for photovoltaic (PV) modules

IEC 61646, 2008 Ed 2, Thin-film terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design qualification and type approval

IEC 61701: 1995 Ed 1.0:  Scope of the work in progress includes salt mist corrosion testing of PV modules for Edition 2; publish 4Q 2010.

IEC 61730-1: 2004 Ed 1.0:  Scope of the work in progress includes PV module safety qualification requirements for construction for Part 1/Amendment 1; publish 4Q 2010.

IEC 61730-2, 2004 Ed 1, Photovoltaic (PV) module safety qualification – Part 2: Requirements for testing  Amendment 1 in process; publish 2Q 2011

IEC 61829, 1995 Ed 1.0:  Scope of the work in progress includes on-site measurement of I-V characteristics for crystalline silicon PV array, Ed 2; publish 1Q 2011.

IEC 61853-1: Ed 1.0:  Scope of the work in progress includes irradiance and temperature performance measurements and power rating for PV module performance testing and energy rating, Part 1; publish 1Q 2011.

IEC 61853-2: Ed 1.0:  Scope of work in progress includes spectral response, incidence angle and module operating temperature measurements for PV module performance testing and energy rating, Part 2; publish 4Q2010.

IEC 62716, Ed 1, Ammonia corrosion testing of photovoltaic (PV) modules. Publish 2Q2012

New Work Item Proposals (NWIP)

NWIP for PV connector & cabling standard—based on EN 50521
NWIP for various material standards
NWIP for transportation of PV modules

WG 3 Systems

IEC 61194, 1992 Ed 1, Characteristic parameters of stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) systems

IEC 61683, 1999 Ed 1 Photovoltaic systems - Power conditioners – Procedure for measuring efficiency Revision to Ed 2 in process; expect publication in 3Q 2011

IEC 61702, 1995 Ed 1, Rating of direct coupled photovoltaic pumping systems

IEC 61724, 1998 Ed 1, Photovoltaic system performance monitoring – guidelines for measurement, data exchange and analysis

IEC 61725, 1997 Ed 1, Analytical expression for daily solar profiles

IEC 61727, 2004 Ed 2, Photovoltaic (PV) systems – Charact. of the utility interface

IEC 62124, 2004 Ed 1, Photovoltaic (PV) stand alone systems – Design verification

IEC 62446, 2009 Ed 1 Grid connected photovoltaic systems – Minimum requirements for system documentation, commissioning tests and inspection

IEC 62253, Ed 1  Equipment and safety specifications for direct coupled photovoltaic (PV) – pumping systems; publish 4Q 2011

IEC 62548, Ed 1 Installation and Safety Requirements for Photovoltaic (PV) Generators; publish 4Q 2011

New Work Item Proposals (NWIP)

NWIP TS Design guidelines and recommendations for photovoltaic power plants

WG 6 Balance of System Components

IEC 61683, 1999 Ed 1, PV systems – Power conditioners – Procedure for measuring efficiency. Edition 2 in process; publish 4Q 2011

IEC 62093, 2005 Ed 1, Balance-of-system components for photovoltaic systems - Design qualification natural environments. Edition 2 in process; publish 4Q2012

IEC 62109-1, Ed. 1.0 Safety of power converters for use in photovoltaic power systems -- Part 1. General requirements. Published 2010-4

IEC 62109-2 Ed. 1.0:  Scope of the work in progress includes developing requirements for inverters for safety of power converters for use in photovoltaic power systems, Part 2. Particular requirements for inverters. Publish 4Q 2010.

IEC 62509 Ed. 1.0:  Scope of the work in progress includes developing performance and functioning of photovoltaic battery charge controllers. Published 2010-12

New Work Item Proposals (NWIP)

IEC 62109-X, Ed. 1.0 Safety of power converters for use in photovoltaic power systems – Part X. Controllers.

IEC 62109-X, Ed. 1.0 Safety of power converters for use in photovoltaic power systems – Part X. Particular requirements for combiner box. (May be developed with SC17B) Publish 4Q2012

IEC 62116: 2008 Ed 1, Test procedure of islanding prevention measures for utility-interconnected photovoltaic inverters

WG 7 Concentrator Modules

IEC 62108, 2007 Ed 1, Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules and assemblies - Design qualification and type approval Amendment or revision is underway

IEC 62670-1, Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module and assembly performance testing and energy rating - Part 1: Performance measurements and power rating - Irradiance and temperature. Publish 4Q2012

IEC 62670-2, TS Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module and assembly performance testing and energy rating - Part 2: Energy rating by measurement. Publish 4Q2012

IEC 62688, Ed.1 Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module and assembly safety qualification. 82/631/CD. Publish 4Q2012

82/618/NP, Specification for solar trackers used for photovoltaic systems. Publish 2Q2012

JWG 1 TC 82/TC 88/TC21/SC21A: Decentralized Rural Electrification

IEC 61427, 2005 Ed 3, Secondary cells and batteries for photovoltaic energy systems (PVES) - General requirements and methods of test. Revision to include latest battery technology is underway

IEC/TS 62257-1, 2003 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 1: General introduction to rural electrification

IEC/TS 62257-2, 2004 Ed 1 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 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 3: Project development and management

IEC/TS 62257-4, 2005 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 4: System selection and design

IEC/TS 62257-5, 2005 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 5: Protection against electrical hazards

IEC/TS 62257-6, 2005 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 6: Acceptance, operation, maintenance and replacement

IEC/TS 62257-7, 2008 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 7: Generators

IEC/TS 62257-7-1, 2010 Ed 2 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 7-1: Generators - Photovoltaic arrays. Published 2010-9.

IEC/TS 62257-7-3, 2008 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 7-3: Generator set - Selection of generator sets for rural electrification systems

IEC/TS 62257-8-1, 2007 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 8-1: Selection of batteries and battery management systems for stand-alone electrification systems - Specific case of automotive flooded lead-acid batteries available in developing countries

IEC/TS 62257-9-1, 2008-09 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 9-1: Micropower systems

IEC/TS 62257-9-2, 2006 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 9-2: Microgrids

IEC/TS 62257-9-3, 2006 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 9-3: Integrated system - User interface

IEC/TS 62257-9-4, 2006 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 9-4: Integrated system – User installation

IEC/TS 62257-9-5, 2007 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 9-5: Integrated system - Selection of portable PV lanterns for rural electrification projects

IEC/TS 62257-9-6, 2008 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 9-6: Integrated system - Selection of Photovoltaic Individual Electrification Systems (PV-IES)

IEC/TS 62257-12-1, 2007 Ed 1 Recommendations for small renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification – Part 12-1: Selection of self-ballasted lamps (CFL) for rural electrification systems and recommendations for household lighting equipment

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