With the new version of IEC 62790 (Ed. 2, 2020-07) several improvements, additional requirements and new test procedures with focus on safety for junction boxes have been implemented. These improvements and additional requirements do not lower or weak the technical requirements of EN 62790:2015.
New test procedures are:
- bypass diode thermal test
- reverse overload current test
Official transition periods are usually listed in the regional or national standards. EN standards have for instance an officially date of withdrawal (DOW), while IEC standards have a date of availability (DOA) and for some publications only a stability date that leads to an evaluation whether the considered standard will be reconfirmed, withdrawn, replaced by a revised version or amended. The lack of regulation in regards to the validity of IEC standards is generating uncertainties for both junction box and PV module manufacturers.
TÜV Rheinland has therefore defined a transition period for application of the state of the art IEC 62790:2020 standard to generate planning and development certainty for all manufacturers involved.
PV modules certification IEC 61215/61730:2016 can accept from January 2022 junction box component certification IEC 62790:2020 only.
Junction box manufacturer will have enough time and limited effort to update their certification from IEC 62790:2014 to IEC 62790:2020.
IEC standards alone do not fulfil legal requirements to issue a test mark, which are required by national or regional standards (e.g. EN standard is mandatory for CE marking). Therefore an IEC 62790:2020 standard alone cannot be used to issue a certificate, unless all the technical requirements of the EN 62790:2015 standard are met by the IEC 62790:2020 standard.
For further clarifications, get in touch with us at www.tuv.com