EN IEC 62446-1 Photovoltaic (PV) Systems - Testing, Documentation and Maintenance Requirements - Part 1: Grid-Connected Systems - Documentation, Commissioning Testing and Inspection

The standard “EN IEC 62446-1 Photovoltaic (PV) systems - Testing, documentation and maintenance requirements - Part 1: Grid-connected systems - Documentation, commissioning tests and inspection”, which is based on a European standard and later published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), describes the information and documents that must be delivered to the customer after the installation of a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system. This standard also includes the expected commissioning tests, inspection criteria and documents to verify the safe installation and correct operation of the system. This standard can also be used for periodic retests.

The EN IEC 62446-1 standard is written for grid-connected photovoltaic systems that do not use energy storage (e.g., batteries) or hybrid systems. This standard is designed to be used as a template by system designers and installers of grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems to provide effective documentation to a customer. Within this standard, expected commissioning tests and inspection criteria are described in detail, aiming to assist in the verification, inspection, and subsequent re-inspection, maintenance, or modification of a grid-connected photovoltaic system after installation.

This standard defines the different test procedures expected for different types of solar photovoltaic systems to ensure that the test regime applied is appropriate to the scale, type and complexity of the system in question. This standard does not address concentrator photovoltaic systems, but is applicable to many.

For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply:

• The AC module is a photovoltaic module with an integrated inverter whose electrical terminals are AC only.
• Cable type is the description of a cable that allows its rating and suitability for a particular use or environment to be determined.
• Inspection is the examination of an electrical installation using all senses to detect the correct selection and proper installation of electrical equipment.
• An inverter is an electrical energy converter that converts direct electric current into single-phase or multi-phase alternating current.
• A microinverter is a small inverter designed to be connected directly to one or two photovoltaic modules. A microinverter is normally connected directly to the factory-installed module leads and either fixed to the module frame or mounted immediately next to the module.
• Module integrated electronics are any electronic devices that are installed in a photovoltaic module to provide control, monitoring, or power conversion functions. Module integrated electronics can be factory installed or field installed.
• A photovoltaic array is an assembly of electrically interconnected photovoltaic modules, photovoltaic arrays, or photovoltaic sub-arrays.
• The photovoltaic (PV) cell is the most basic device that demonstrates the photovoltaic effect, the direct conversion of radiant energy into non-thermal electrical energy.
• The photovoltaic module is the smallest complete environmentally protected assembly of interconnected photovoltaic cells.
• A photovoltaic array is a circuit of one or more series-connected photovoltaic modules.
• A photovoltaic array combiner box is a junction box to which photovoltaic arrays are connected and which may contain overcurrent protection devices, electronic devices or switch disconnectors.
• IMOD_MAX_OCPR is the maximum overcurrent protection rating of the photovoltaic module as specified by the IEC 61730-2 standard. This is usually specified by module manufacturers as the maximum series fuse rating.
• Testing is the application of measures that have been proven to be effective in an electrical installation. It involves determining values ​​by means of appropriate measuring instruments, which cannot be determined by inspection.
• Verification is all measures that check the electrical installation's compliance with relevant standards.

The minimum documentation that must be provided after the installation of a grid-connected photovoltaic system is listed in this standard. This information ensures that the essential system data is easily accessible to a customer, inspector or maintenance engineer. The documentation includes the essential system data and the information expected to be provided in the operation and maintenance manual.

This standard contains the requirements for the initial and periodic verification of a grid-connected photovoltaic electrical installation. Most of the verification of a grid-connected photovoltaic system is covered in the IEC 60364-6 standard, which provides the requirements for the initial and periodic verification of any electrical installation.

Each installation of subsystems and components shall be verified in accordance with IEC 60364-6, as far as reasonably practicable, during installation and after completion, before being put into service by the user.

Our organization has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in science and technology in the world and constantly improves itself. Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies provided for businesses in various sectors, there are also test services in accordance with the standard “EN IEC 62446-1 Photovoltaic (PV) systems - Testing, documentation and maintenance requirements - Part 1: Grid-connected systems - Documentation, commissioning tests and auditing”.