Design qualification and type approval of PV modules acc. to IEC 61215 Ed. 2 TüV Rheinland Immissionsschutz und Energiesysteme GmbH Renewable Energies June 2006 Design qualification and type approval of PV-modules in accordance with IEC 61215 / IEC 61646 Introduction, Overview The product certification of crystalline PV modules for open-air climates is based on international standards from the series IEC 68 “Environmental Test Procedures”. Considerable preliminary work on the definition of special test procedures for PV modules was rendered by the Research Centre of the European Commission in Ispra (Italy). The test specifications no. 503, “Terrestrial Photovoltaic (PV) Modules with Crystalline Solar Cells – Design qualification and Type Approval” developed in Ispra, were adopted in 1993 as the standard IEC 1215 of the International Electro technical Commission (now IEC 61215) and in 1995 ratified as the European standard EN 61215. In April 2005 a 2 edition to IEC 61215 nd was published, which contains some changes in testing conditions and pass criteria. IEC 61215, comprises the examination of all parameters which are responsible for the ageing of PV modules and describes the various qualification tests on the basis of the artificial load of the materials. In particular one differs between radiation testing, thermal testing and mechanical testing. In 1996 a comparable standard was developed for photovoltaic thin-film modules. This standard, namely IEC 61646 : ‘Thin-film terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules – Design qualification and type