ATUM – World’s 1st Integrated Solar Roof Gets IEC CB 2016, UL 61730 Certification

Adding another feather in its cap, country’s one of the leading cement roofing sheet maker Visaka Industries said on Thursday that it has successfully passed the solar photovoltaic (PV) module tests for its ATUM product.

Illinois-based global safety science company UL has certificated ATUM as per the latest International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and UL standards with IEC CB 2016 and UL 61730 certifications.

This certification complies with the IEC Standards revised in March 2016, enabling world’s first integrated solar roof, ‘ATUM’ to position itself in the markets of Europe, Latin America and Africa among fifty other countries.

Commenting on the accreditation for ATUM, Vamsi Krishna G, Joint Managing Director of Visaka Industries, said “we are proud to have partnered with UL for IEC 61216:2016 and UL 61730 certification for ATUM roof solar-panels. A breakthrough invention in the field of sustainable energy, ATUM is an integrated solar roofing system that serves all the functions of a traditional roof while generating energy for you. We manufacture integrated solar panels with a cementitious substrate base. It has better thermal conductivity than a traditional roof while adding an aesthetic element to the roof. We have previously showcased our self-sustainable and eco-friendly model homes at the UNHABITAT assembly in Nairobi, Kenya.”

He further added that “a pioneer in the Indian PV industry, Visaka Industries has always prioritized to produce durable, sustainable products of the highest quality from our state-of-the-art automated manufacturing facilities. We believe in partnering with a reputed, accredited and trusted testing partner to ensure our products adhere to the IEC standards and is endorsed by UL, a globally reputed testing and certification body. This certification opens up market avenues for us in over 50 countries.”

Both IEC standards – IEC 61215 and UL 61730 – were altered considering the changing technological requirements in the solar industry to suit climate change and sustainability, the company said.

The current norms recognize changes in the test procedure, sequence, duration and methodology for evaluating structural safety and performance of solar modules that are manufactured with crystalline silicon and other thin-film technologies, it added.

As per the new standards, modules are required to increase cycle time from 15 days to 120 days to account for the rising ultra violet (UV) radiation in the atmosphere.

The IEC standard release requires new testing structures, qualification conditions and minimum design requirements to safely operate at higher voltages, fulfilling market trends.

While the updates on IEC 61215:2016 require a ‘19 Module Quality Tests (MQT)’ to be conducted where some MQTs will require additional tests to qualify, they also allow new testing procedures to be set, depending on the tested product. The other IEC standard, IEC 61730 has been completely revised to include new testing sequences and Module Safety Tests (MSTs). The product design must accommodate minimum electrical requirements to sustain a higher voltage.