IEC TS 62915-2023 cor1-2024 PDF

Full title and description

Photovoltaic (PV) modules - Type approval, design and safety qualification - Retesting. This entry refers to IEC TS 62915:2023 (2nd edition) together with Corrigendum 1 issued in 2024, which provides corrections and clarifications to the 2023 Technical Specification on retesting requirements for terrestrial PV modules.

Abstract

IEC TS 62915:2023 defines a uniform approach for maintaining type approval, design and safety qualification of terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules after design, component or process changes. The document distinguishes between wafer-based technologies (WBT) and monolithically-integrated thin‑film (MLI) technologies, lists typical modifications and maps those changes to retest requirements derived from related module qualification and safety standards. Corrigendum 1 (2024) issues corrections to the 2023 text.

General information

• Status: Current / Active (Technical Specification with Corrigendum).
• Publication date: IEC TS 62915:2023 — 15 September 2023; Corrigendum 1 — 7 August 2024 (Corr. 1 circulation/publication August 2024).
• Publisher: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), prepared by TC 82 (Solar photovoltaic energy systems).
• ICS / categories: 27.160 (Solar energy engineering).
• Edition / version: Edition 2.0 (2023) with Corrigendum 1 (2024).
• Number of pages: Main Technical Specification: 43 pages (second edition); Corrigendum 1: 1 page.

Scope

This Technical Specification provides guidance for determining when retesting is required after changes to PV module design, materials, components or manufacturing processes. It applies to terrestrial PV modules and covers both wafer‑based technologies (WBT) and monolithically‑integrated (MLI) thin‑film modules. The document maps types of modifications to the relevant retest procedures and references prevailing IEC qualification and safety standards to ensure continued electrical performance, reliability and safety of modified module designs.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of change categories (materials, components, process, design variants) that may trigger retesting.
• Different retest paths and sample selections for wafer‑based (WBT) and monolithically‑integrated thin‑film (MLI) modules.
• Mapping of required retest procedures to established IEC module qualification/safety standards (notably IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 family) and guidance on acceptance criteria.
• Guidance on retesting for system compatibility when introducing model variants and recommendations for representative sampling.
• Inclusion of guidance referencing IEC TS 63126 for qualification under high‑temperature operation conditions.
• Corrigendum 1 (2024) provides editorial corrections and clarifications to the 2023 text to ensure consistency and remove ambiguities.

Typical use and users

Used by PV module manufacturers, product design and quality engineers, test laboratories, certification and conformity assessment bodies, procurement/specification teams, and regulatory authorities. The document supports decisions on whether a modified module design requires partial or full re‑qualification and guides implementation of appropriate retest programs to maintain type approval and safety qualification.

Related standards

Closely related to and used in conjunction with IEC 61215 (PV module design qualification and type approval), IEC 61730 (PV module safety qualification), and IEC TS 63126 (guidelines for high temperature operation qualification). The Technical Specification cross‑references the relevant test procedures and acceptance criteria from those documents.

Keywords

PV modules, photovoltaic, retesting, type approval, design qualification, safety qualification, wafer‑based technology (WBT), monolithically‑integrated thin‑film (MLI), IEC TS 62915, corrigendum, TC 82.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: IEC TS 62915:2023 is a Technical Specification that defines when and how photovoltaic modules should be retested following changes to design, materials, components or manufacturing processes; Corrigendum 1 (2024) issues corrections to the 2023 edition.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers retest decision criteria, recommended retest procedures and sample selection for maintaining type approval and safety qualification of terrestrial PV modules, distinguishing requirements for WBT and MLI technologies and referencing IEC qualification/safety standards.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: PV module manufacturers, testing laboratories, certification bodies, design and quality engineers, and regulators use the document to determine appropriate retest actions for modified module designs.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2nd edition (IEC TS 62915:2023) is current and replaces the 2018 edition; Corrigendum 1 was published in August 2024 to correct and clarify the 2023 text. The IEC webstore lists a stability date through 2026 for the publication.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is a stand‑alone Technical Specification in the portfolio of PV module standards prepared by IEC TC 82 and is intended to be used alongside the IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 series and related technical specifications such as IEC TS 63126.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: PV modules, retesting, type approval, design qualification, safety qualification, WBT, MLI, IEC TS 62915, corrigendum, TC 82.