TÜV Rheinland certifies organic PV product based on IEC 61215 standard

German certification body TÜV Rheinland has announced the certification of the first organic photovoltaic (OPV) product – an organic PV foil from Germany’s Heliatek – based on the IEC 61215 standard.

Image: TÜV Rheinland

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Germany's TÜV Rheinland said it has certified an OPV product according to the IEC 61215 standard for the first time.

This standard is the most popular standard for the solar market and defines the basic requirements for the design approval and qualification process of terrestrial PV modules designed for long-term operation in open-air climates. TÜV Rheinland said it awarded the certification to an OPV foil developed by German manufacturer Heliatek.

“TÜV Rheinland has accompanied Heliatek over several years on the way to an increasingly robust, more stable and safer product,” said Eckart Janknecht, a solar expert at TÜV Rheinland. “After continuous development over the past few years, we have now been able to successfully certify the first product according to the world’s most important standards for the PV industry.”

Heliatek CEO Guido van Tartwijk said that meeting the rigorous criteria of the IEC 61215 standards establishes a fresh standard for organic solar films. He noted that the certification was achieved for the HeliaSol 436-2000-CFE-45-600V product, the initial release in Heliatek's newest line of solar foils. Tartwijk also discussed ongoing efforts to certify more products.

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In 2022, TÜV Rheinland developed new testing guidelines for the certification of BIPV modules. It said the new testing guidelines will bring greater transparency to the BIPV market. It said it hopes that it will pave the way for manufacturers to get their systems approved by building authorities.

Reaching consensus on BIPV and what makes it different from conventional rooftop PV tech is one of the challenges that the emerging industry has to deal with if it wants to move from niche to mainstream.

IEA-PVPS recently published a report to assemble developments from different parts of the world into a clear set of standards. It clearly defined functions for different products, in terms of their roles as construction materials and energy generators. At system level, the report notes three main types of BIPV systems: roof, facade, and external integrated devices.

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