Chapter 3-Guidelines for 2009 California Solar Incentive Programs
CHAPTER 3: Solar Energy System Component
StandardsThis chapter establishes rating standards for equipment, components, and systems to assure
reasonable performance in accordance with SB 1.18 Setting rating standards and guidelines to
ensure the quality of systems and components is critical to a successful solar incentive program
and to ensure incentives are given to high‐performing systems. The three main components that
are subject to standards and ratings specific to PV installations are the modules, inverters, and
meters. Until the equipment is tested and listed by the Energy Commission, applications
specifying the equipment are not eligible for incentive payment.
A description of the testing criteria and the criteria for reporting performance of eligible
equipment is detailed in Appendix 1—Criteria for Testing, Certification, and Listing of Eligible
Components.
The requirements in this chapter shall be implemented by solar energy system incentive
program administrators no later than July 1, 2009.
Photovoltaic Modules
Eligible PV modules 19 shall be required to provide testing data from independent laboratories to
ensure safety and high‐quality data on module performance in the field. This data shall also be
used to calculate the expected performance of the system. Eligible modules are listed with the
Energy Commission.20
The solar panels eligibility requirements are as follows:
• Modules shall be certified to UL 1703 by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory21
(NRTL) to ensure safety and reliability.
• Detailed performance data shall be reported and certified using the subsections of
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 61215 or 61646 (depending on the
type of PV system) at an International Laboratory Accreditation Corporation (ILAC)
accredited laboratory.22
• The Normal Operating Cell Temperature (NOCT) for roof‐integrated, building‐integrated
photovoltaic (BIPV) products shall be determined using the specification described in
Appendix 1‐Criteria for Testing, Certification and Listing of Eligible Components.
All currently listed photovoltaic modules shall fulfill the eligibility criteria testing
requirements by July 1, 2009, to qualify as eligible equipment; thereafter, the listing will be
updated monthly.23 Between January 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009, performance data based on test
procedures specified in UL 1703, Section 18.1 (in‐house laboratory and flash test data) may be relied upon
to list eligible modules.
Other Solar Electric Generating Technologies
Other solar electric generating technologies24 shall be eligible for performance‐based incentives
(PBI) only.25
Eligible products shall provide a full safety certification with follow‐up service or listing from a
Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).26 Approval of products shall require an
investigation to determine whether any existing standards or portions of existing standards are
applicable, and/or whether development of new test protocols is necessary. Determination of
applicability of existing standards and development of new test protocols shall be performed by
a NRTL. Manufacturers shall submit all new test protocols to the Energy Commission for
review. The Energy Commission reserves the right to challenge the adequacy of test protocols
for eligibility listing. If inadequacies are determined, the Energy Commission will consult the
NRTL and manufacturer, but may ultimately not approve the eligibility listing if inadequacies
are not resolved.
Additionally, each manufacturer shall work with the appropriate program administrator to
determine suitable estimates of capacity and energy production before reserving funds.
Inverters
The inverter test protocol developed by the Energy Commission to determine inverter
performance data shall be used along with the UL certification for safety and reliability. The
inverter test protocol ensures that the reported performance data of efficiency at the full range
of operating conditions (power and efficiency at the full range of possible voltages) along with
the night time tare loss for each inverter provides full performance information and enables
hourly estimating of the overall performance of the system.
Eligible inverters are listed with the Energy Commission.27
The following are inverter eligibility requirements:
• Inverters shall be certified to UL 1741 standards by a Nationally Recognized Testing
Laboratory (NRTL)28.
• Performance data (Maximum Continuous Output Power, Conversion Efficiency, and Tare
Losses) tested in accordance with “Performance Test Protocol for Evaluating Inverters Used
in Grid‐Connected Photovoltaic Systems29ʺ by a NRTL shall be reported for each inverter.
When an inverter is integral to and wholly contained within a solar electric generator, the
inverter shall not be required to be separately certified to UL 1741 if UL 1741 testing is
performed as part of a full safety certification by a NRTL for the solar electric generator.
Meters
Performance meters,30 whether stand alone or integrated with the inverters, shall be required to
meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Meters with ± 2 percent accuracy are required for all performance‐based incentive
applicants.
• All ± 2 percent accuracy meters shall be tested according to all applicable ANSI C‐12 testing
protocols.
• Meters with ± 5 percent accuracy (these are primarily inverter‐integrated) shall be allowed
for expected performance incentive applicants.
• Beginning January 1, 2010, inverter‐integrated meters shall be tested to ± 5 percent accuracy
in accordance with the “5% Accuracy Certification Requirements and Testing Procedures for
Inverter‐Integrated Meters”31 by a NRTL.
• All meters shall measure and display both instantaneous power (kW or W) and cumulative
energy produced (kWh or Wh).
• All meters shall retain production data during power outages.
• All meters shall be easy to read for the customerʹs benefit.
• All meters shall have a communication port capable of enabling connection to remote
performance monitoring and reporting service (PMRS).