Two mandatory national standards for photovoltaic modules officially released to help promote high-quality development of the photovoltaic industry.

According to a report by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on May 26th, in order to implement the decision-making arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council on promoting the high-quality development of the photovoltaic industry, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has organized the development of two mandatory national standards, namely "Photovoltaic Module Safety Requirements" and "Photovoltaic Module Nameplate Labeling Requirements" (hereinafter referred to as the two mandatory standards), which were officially released on May 25, 2026, and will be officially implemented from June 1, 2027. This will play an important role in standardizing the competitive order in the photovoltaic industry and promoting industrial upgrading. The "Photovoltaic Module Nameplate Labeling Requirements" specifically addresses issues such as falsely inflated power ratings, and mandates the standardization of nameplate parameters and labeling methods, ensuring that the performance data of each module is verifiable and traceable throughout the entire process. This will effectively curb false advertising and low-quality, low-price cutthroat competition, and promote the development of a market ecosystem based on quality and price. The original text is as follows: Mandatory National Standards for Photovoltaic Modules Officially Released to Support High-Quality Development of the Photovoltaic Industry In order to implement the decision-making arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council on promoting the high-quality development of the photovoltaic industry, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has organized the development of two mandatory national standards, namely "Photovoltaic Module Safety Requirements" and "Photovoltaic Module Nameplate Labeling Requirements", which were officially released on May 25, 2026, and will be officially implemented from June 1, 2027. This will play an important role in standardizing the competitive order in the photovoltaic industry and promoting industrial upgrading. The "Photovoltaic Module Safety Requirements" stipulate requirements for the electrical safety, mechanical safety, fire safety, and restriction of harmful substances of photovoltaic modules, and describe the corresponding test methods. In terms of electrical safety, it specifies requirements for electrical protection and insulation protection of photovoltaic modules, as well as requirements for the materials and components used in the modules; in terms of fire safety, it specifies requirements such as thermal spot durability, fire rating, combustion performance, and flame retardancy of materials, aiming to reduce the risk of fires in photovoltaic modules from various aspects such as the reliability of thermal spots in the module, fire resistance and flame spread of the module itself, and flame retardancy of materials. The "Photovoltaic Module Nameplate Labeling Requirements" specify the basic requirements, labeling content, and labeling requirements for electrical performance parameters of photovoltaic module nameplates. It focuses on clearly defining the tolerance range and verification methods of nominal power, short-circuit current, and open-circuit voltage, requiring that the deviation between the nameplate value and the measured value does not exceed the upper and lower limits of the tolerance or 2%, and providing clear requirements in terms of laboratory measurement uncertainty, traceability, etc. After the implementation of the two mandatory standards, the following positive effects will be generated: First, establishing a safety baseline and solidifying the foundation for energy security. The "Photovoltaic Module Safety Requirements" establish a comprehensive safety specification throughout the lifecycle, systematically improving the core performance of module electrical safety, mechanical safety, fire safety, etc., to prevent major safety risks such as fires and electrical hazards from the source, providing solid technical support for the construction of new power systems and national energy security. Second, standardizing labeling management and reshaping a fair competitive order. The "Photovoltaic Module Nameplate Labeling Requirements" address issues such as falsely inflated power ratings, mandating the standardization of nameplate parameters and labeling methods, ensuring that the performance data of each module is verifiable and traceable throughout the entire process, effectively curbing false advertising and low-quality, low-price cutthroat competition, and promoting the development of a market ecosystem based on quality and pricing. Third, leading a value transformation and driving the industry towards quality upgrading. The simultaneous implementation of the two mandatory national standards will effectively transform the industry's competitive logic, shifting from the past focus on "price comparison and scale competition" to "reliability and technology comparison." By establishing clear safety and quality boundaries, companies are urged to focus on technological innovation and quality improvement, thereby helping the photovoltaic industry in China realize a strategic transformation from "leading in scale" to "leading in value." During the development of the two mandatory standards, a wide range of opinions and suggestions from manufacturing enterprises, end users, third-party testing and certification agencies, research institutions, and relevant administrative authorities were extensively solicited. The drafting groups organized multiple rounds of technical seminars to accommodate various concerns and achieve the highest degree of coordination and balance. After the official release of the two mandatory standards, photovoltaic module manufacturers will accelerate the introduction of new product designs, process improvements, and equipment upgrades in accordance with the standard requirements, in order to achieve the supply of photovoltaic modules that comply with the new standards as soon as possible. A 12-month transition period has been set for the two mandatory standards, i.e., they will be officially implemented 12 months after the date of publication, allowing companies ample time for testing, certification, and inventory clearance. In response to the specific requirements of the two standards, the photovoltaic industry already has mature manufacturing solutions and corresponding test methods in place, and the implementation of the standards does not involve large-scale technological upgrades or cost inputs. Additionally, based on feedback from photovoltaic module manufacturers, sellers, and users, the inventory scale of photovoltaic products is relatively small, and it is expected that inventory clearance can be accomplished gradually during the standard's transition period. In the next step, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will work with relevant departments to continue strengthening the management of the photovoltaic industry, regulating market order, enhancing the publicity of the two mandatory standards, guiding photovoltaic companies to quickly comply with the standards, further improving the quality and safety levels of products, and accelerating the transformation and upgrading of the photovoltaic industry. This article is compiled from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Report. GMTEight Editor: Chen Wenfang.