On September 25, 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT) provided further clarification on the Guidelines for the Construction of the Standard System of the Photovoltaic Industry (hereinafter referred to as “the Guidelines”), which is a key standardization document for the photovoltaic (PV) sector.

The Guidelines serve as an important supporting document for the Implementation Plan for the Leading Engineering of Standardization in New Industries (2023-2035), which was issued in August 2024. A public consultation round was held in December 2023 regarding a draft titled the Comprehensive Technical Standardization System for the Solar Photovoltaic Industry (hereinafter referred to as “the Draft”).

The Guidelines consist of five chapters covering the following main contents:

  • Objective: Promote the high-end, intelligent, green, and integrated development of the photovoltaic industry. Strengthen the top-level design of standards; enhance the coordination of standards across the entire industry chain; increase the supply of advanced standards; improve the effectiveness of standard implementation; and promote the internationalization of standards to drive the high-quality development of the photovoltaic industry.
  • General goals: By 2026, the linkage between standards and industrial scientific and technological innovation will continue to improve. More than 60 new national and sector-specific standards will be developed to achieve complete coverage of basic general standards and key standards in the photovoltaic industry. Social groups will be encouraged to develop advanced association standards. Chinese enterprises and institutions will be supported in participating in the formulation of over 20 international standards, promoting the globalization of the photovoltaic sector.
  • Framework and key fields for constructing the standard system:
  • Implementation support: Standardization research institutes are encouraged to cultivate and attract high-level talent and enhance professional training. Sector associations and standardization technical organizations are urged to guide and assist enterprises in meeting the standard system requirements in areas such as R&D, design, production, management, and testing.

In comparison to the Draft released at the end of 2023, the Guidelines adjust the overall objective to a longer timeframe (extending from 2025 to 2026) and set a higher quantitative target (increasing the total planned standards from 40 to 60). The finalized Guidelines also revise the framework of the standard system and the specific content under each category outlined in the accompanying diagram.