EN IEC 61215-1-2:2021/A1:2022

Terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design qualification and type approval - Part 1-2: Special requirements for testing of thin-film Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) based photovoltaic (PV) modules

No scope available

Terrestrische Photovoltaik(PV)-Module - Bauarteignung und Bauartzulassung - Teil 1-2: Besondere Anforderungen an die Prüfung von Photovoltaik(PV)-Dünnschichtmodulen aus Cadmiumtellurid (CdTe)

Modules photovoltaïques (PV) pour applications terrestres - Qualification de la conception et homologation - Partie 1-2: Exigences particulières d'essai des modules photovoltaïques (PV) au tellurure de cadmium (CdTe) à couches minces

Prizemni fotonapetostni (PV) moduli - Ocena zasnove in odobritev tipa - 1-2. del: Posebne zahteve za preskušanje fotonapetostnih modulov iz tankoslojnega kadmij-telurja (CdTe) - Dopolnilo A1

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 05-May-2022
• ICS: 27.160 - Solar energy engineering
• Technical Committee: CLC/TC 82 - Solar photovoltaic energy systems
• Drafting Committee: IEC/TC 82 - IEC_TC_82
• Current Stage: 6060 - Document made available - Publishing
• Start Date: 06-May-2022
• Completion Date: 06-May-2022
• Ref Project: SIST EN IEC 61215-1-2:2021/A1:2022 - Terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design qualification and type approval - Part 1-2: Special requirements for testing of thin-film Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) based photovoltaic (PV) modules

Relations

• Amends: EN IEC 61215-1-2:2021 - Terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design qualification and type approval - Part 1-2: Special requirements for testing of thin-film Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) based photovoltaic (PV) modules
• Effective Date: 16-Mar-2021

Overview

EN IEC 61215-1-2:2021/A1:2022 is Amendment 1 to the international/European standard that specifies special requirements for testing thin-film Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) modules as part of the IEC 61215 series on design qualification and type approval. Approved by CENELEC on 2022-05-02, this amendment updates terms, marking and documentation, and static mechanical load testing provisions to reflect technology-specific characteristics of CdTe thin-film modules.

This amendment is applicable to terrestrial PV modules and supplements the principal test flow and procedures of IEC 61215-1:2021 and IEC 61215-2. It clarifies how manufacturers and test laboratories should treat modules designed for lower mechanical loads and how such modules must be marked and documented.

Key Topics

• New terms and definitions: adds definitions such as reduced mechanical load (modules with a test load < 2 400 Pa) and restricted access area (areas accessible only to electrically skilled or instructed persons).

• Marking and nameplate requirements: modules with reduced mechanical load must carry clear, indelible markings on the nameplate that state the range of positive and negative design loads in pascals, preceded by the phrase "reduced mechanical design load" and followed by warnings such as "Not for roof mount. For ground mounted installations with restricted access only. May only be used in systems designed by a licensed professional engineer." A unique model designation (for example adding a suffix like "-X") is required to identify reduced-load variants.

• Documentation: manufacturers must include documentation explaining intended engineered scenarios (e.g., ground-mounted utility-scale installations), permitted design-load ranges, safety factors (notably a 1.5 safety factor referenced), and installation restrictions.

• Static mechanical load test (MQT 16) adjustments: the amendment permits a lower minimum test load for modules marked as reduced-load. For unmarked modules the minimum test load remains 2 400 Pa (design load 1 600 Pa). For reduced-load modules the minimum design load is 800 Pa resulting in a minimum test load of 1 200 Pa as defined by the manufacturer.

Applications

This amendment is primarily relevant for:

• Manufacturers of thin-film CdTe PV modules updating product marking, model identification and technical documentation.
• Test laboratories and certification bodies applying modified static mechanical load procedures for reduced-load modules.
• PV system designers and engineers, particularly for ground-mounted utility-scale installations where engineered structural designs and restricted access can allow use of lower-load modules.

Related Standards

• IEC 61215-1:2021 (Design qualification and type approval - general test flow)
• IEC 61215-2:2021 (Static mechanical load and component-level tests)

For full application and normative references, consult the official EN IEC 61215-1-2:2021/A1:2022 publication and national adoptions. The amendment emphasizes safe, compliant use of CdTe thin-film PV modules and clarifies limits for reduced mechanical load designs.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-julij-2022
Prizemni fotonapetostni (PV) moduli - Ocena zasnove in odobritev tipa - 1-2. del:
Posebne zahteve za preskušanje fotonapetostnih modulov iz tankoslojnega
kadmij-telurja (CdTe) - Dopolnilo A1
Terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design qualification and type approval - Part 1-2:
Special requirements for testing of thin-film Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) based
photovoltaic (PV) modules
Terrestrische kristalline Silizium-Photovoltaik(PV)-Module - Bauarteignung und
Bauartzulassung - Teil 1-2: Besondere Anforderungen an die Prüfung von Photovoltaik
(PV)-Dünnschichtmodulen aus Cadmiumtellurid-(CdTe)
Modules photovoltaïques (PV) pour applications terrestres - Qualification de la
conception et homologation - Partie 1-2: Exigences particulières d'essai des modules
photovoltaïques (PV) au tellurure de cadmium (CdTe) à couches minces
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN IEC 61215-1-2:2021/A1:2022
ICS:
27.160 Sončna energija Solar energy engineering
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 61215-1-2:2021/A1

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM May 2022
ICS 27.160
English Version
Terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design qualification and
type approval - Part 1-2: Special requirements for testing of thin-
film Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) based photovoltaic (PV) modules
(IEC 61215-1-2:2021/AMD1:2022)
Modules photovoltaïques (PV) pour applications terrestres - Terrestrische kristalline Silizium-Photovoltaik(PV)-Module -
Qualification de la conception et homologation - Partie 1-2: Bauarteignung und Bauartzulassung - Teil 1-2: Besondere
Exigences particulières d'essai des modules Anforderungen an die Prüfung von Photovoltaik(PV)-
photovoltaïques (PV) au tellurure de cadmium (CdTe) à Dünnschichtmodulen aus Cadmiumtellurid-(CdTe)
couches minces (IEC 61215-1-2:2021/AMD1:2022)
(IEC 61215-1-2:2021/AMD1:2022)
This amendment A1 modifies the European Standard EN IEC 61215-1-2:2021; it was approved by CENELEC on 2022-05-02. CENELEC
members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this amendment the
status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This amendment exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the
responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as
the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and the United Kingdom.

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2022 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN IEC 61215-1-2:2021/A1:2022 E

European foreword
The text of document 82/1996/FDIS, future IEC 61215-1-2/AMD1, prepared by IEC/TC 82 "Solar
photovoltaic energy systems" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and approved by
CENELEC as EN IEC 61215-1-2:2021/A1:2022.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2023-02-02
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2025-05-02
document have to be withdrawn
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national committee. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CENELEC website.
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 61215-1-2:2021/AMD1:2022 was approved by CENELEC
as a European Standard without any modification.

IEC 61215-1-2 ®
Edition 2.0 2022-03
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
A MENDMENT 1
AM ENDEMENT 1
Terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules – Design qualification and type approval –

Part 1-2: Special requirements for testing of thin-film Cadmium Telluride (CdTe)

based photovoltaic (PV) modules

Modules photovoltaïques (PV) pour applications terrestres – Qualification de la

conception et homologation –
Partie 1-2: Exigences particulières d'essai des modules photovoltaïques (PV) au

tellurure de cadmium (CdTe) à couches minces

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 27.160 ISBN 978-2-8322-1089-2

– 2 – IEC 61215-1-2:2021/AMD1:2022
© IEC 2022
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
TERRESTRIAL PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) MODULES –
DESIGN QUALIFICATION AND TYPE APPROVAL –

Part 1-2: Special requirements for testing of thin-film Cadmium Telluride
(CdTe) based photovoltaic (PV) modules

AMENDMENT 1
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
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co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
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with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possi
...