News

25 May 2010

 

Shurjo earns IEC certification for modules with Global Solar's CIGS PVs

Shurjo Energy Private Ltd of Kolkata, India , a subsidiary of PAE Ltd, has been awarded International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) certification for its complete line of solar modules, which use copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) cells made by Global Solar Energy Inc of Tucson, AZ, USA.

As well as cells for glass module, Global Solar Energy is said to be the only manufacturer of CIGS PV cells in full scale production on a flexible substrate. The firm is producing CIGS material with an average efficiency of 11% on its production lines in Tucson and Berlin, Germany, says CEO Dr Jeff Britt. Shurjo's 158W module is claimed to be one of the most powerful CIGS panels on the market. At the end of last year, the firm said that it planned to double its annual module production capacity from 5MW.

Issued by EuroTest Laboratori S.r.l (TUV Intercert), IEC certifications are an industry standard for validating PV products and technology. Shurjo earned IEC 61646 and IEC 61730 certification, confirming that all of its modules built with Global Solar technology adhere to the IEC's stringent requirements for functional, mechanical and safety capabilities for long-term operation and open air environments. Certification is also a requirement for modules used in solar power plants in most markets worldwide.

IEC 61646 'Thin-film terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design qualification and type approval' and 'IEC 61730 – safety test' are testing standards used worldwide by the solar industry to verify that new solar modules, encapsulation materials and manufacturers of solar modules meet a minimum set of functional and mechanical requirements to prove confidence for long-term (25+ years) module performance and integrity.

“Shurjo Energy has been solely focused on developing and producing a range of CIGS modules for the past three years,” says Shurjo's chief technology officer Spencer Jansen. “We have carried out numerous in-house and external tests, so that we fully understood the interaction between the materials that make up our modules, before subjecting them to the certification process." Global Solar's technology allowed the firm to pass the IEC test requirements on the first attempt, he adds.

Shurjo’s CIGS-based modules have been subjected to the full range of IEC testing, including extra testing for modules without a frame (so that they can be integrated into existing roofing systems and structures while maintaining the same level of performance and efficiency). Both Shurjo and Global Solar Energy are developing and providing products and services for the emerging building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) market.

To meet local government supported programs, Shurjo's modules have also been certified by the Electronics Regional Test Laboratory (East), India and the KS 1674 (East African standard) from Intertek.

Search: Global Solar CIGS PVs

Visit: www.globalsolar.com

Visit: www.shurjo-energy.com