MNRE Extends BIS Certification Deadline for Solar Inverters till June 30

The Ministry of New and Renewable Resources (MNRE) has once again extended the time granted to solar inverter manufacturers to obtain self-certification under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The new notification extends the deadline till June 30, 2022.

The decision from the Ministry comes as a result of the industry requesting more time from the government. The delay is primarily attributed to the issues associated with the industrial testing. The level of preparation of the test labs also plays a critical role in this issue.

The MNRE has given relief to the industry but this extension has come on a condition. Solar photovoltaic inverter manufacturers must have the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) accreditation. They also need to have test reports from international lab tests.

The government had issued the compulsory registration order back in 2017 for the first time, but this has been extended several times due to practical challenges. In its previous order that was issued in August 2021, the deadline for self-certification was extended to December 31, 2021.

Recently, Solar Energy Federation, Power Products Manufacturers and Traders Association, and other industry bodies approached the Ministry to show some leniency. They explained that the industry was facing difficulty in abiding by the certification order mainly because of the practical challenges caused by COVID-19 led pandemic. Moreover, high testing fee and unavailability of the required number of testing labs that can test upto 150 kW capacity inverters were additional factors that impeded the process.

The MNRE had issued guidelines for grouping solar inverters. To implement the quality control order, these guidelines were given to further the lab tests. These were issued to include any change in the design and material for testing solar inverters in the test labs for compulsory registration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Industry experts believe that the MNRE will have to simplify procedures and support the industry with adequate laboratories’ availability so that in-time testing and certification can be obtained smoothly.