National Standard Starts to be Applied on Solar Panel Products

MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

PRESS RELEASE

NUMBER: 312.Pers/04/SJI/2021

Date: 6 September 2021

National Standard Starts to be Applied on Solar Panel Products

The Indonesian government has set a target for new, renewable energy (NRE) share of 23% by 2025, including through the use of solar energy. Indeed, solar electricity generation has grown exponentially in the last few years.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (EMR) supports such growth by issuing the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) for photovoltaic module products, as set out in Regulation of Minister of EMR Number 2 of 2021 on Application of Quality Standard for Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules.

"This SNI is mandatory because it guarantees the quality of solar modules on the market and increase the competitiveness of local solar modules in the global market because this SNI has been adopted from international standard IEC 61215," Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Dadan Kusdiana, said on Monday (6/9) in Jakarta.

According to Dadan, the SNI marking will convince the public that the solar modules they purchase have gone through a standardized test process. Every photovoltaic module product on the market must have an SNI marking to guarantee it is safe and secure for use and that it conserves the functions of the environment. Both local producers and importers of photovoltaic modules must obey this rule.

As mandated by Ministerial Regulation Number 2 of 2021, four Product Certification Agencies (LSPro) and one Test Laboratory have been appointed to certify photovoltaic modules. The certification of photovoltaic module is conducted by LSPro, while a series of rigorous tests on the module is done at the Test Laboratory of the Indonesian Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology--National Laboratory for Energy Conversion Technology (B2TKE-BPPT). Photovoltaic modules are tested according to the standards of SNI IEC 61215-1:2016, Terrestrial Photovoltaic (PV) Module - Design qualification and type approval - Part 1: Test requirement; SNI IEC 61215-2:2016, Terrestrial Photovoltaic (PV) Module - Design qualification and type approval - Part 2: Test procedures; and SNI IEC 61215-1-1:2016, Terrestrial Photovoltaic (PV) Module - Design qualification and type approval - Part 1-1: Specific requirements to test crystalline silicon Photovoltaic (PV) Module.

Since this SNI was enforced on 7 January 2021, 16 applications for certification had been submitted to LSPro in semester 1 2021. On 3 September 2021, the first Certificate to Use an SNI Marking (SPPT SNI) was issued to PT Utomo Juragan Atap Surya Indonesia by LSPro Qualis. The SPPT SNI of other applicants will soon be issued, too.

Anthony Utomo, Managing Director of PT Utomo Juragan Atap Surya Indonesia who is also Chair of Permanent Committee on Renewable Energy of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) of Surabaya Branch, said the application process for SPPT SNI of solar module was simple and fast, and that it did not significantly affect module price. For this reason, the SPPT SNI is not intended to hamper business but instead is a joint effort by the government and the relevant stakeholders to facilitate the public demand for quality products of clean and environmentally friendly energy equipment.

For the record, PT Utomo Juragan Atap Surya Indonesia is one of Indonesian companies that provides solar rooftop systems under a trade name Utomo SolaRUV. The company had obtained an SPPT SNI number 001/LSP/QI/11-IX/2021, the first of its kind. It is an authorized distributor and service center of Sungrow and LONGi, the world's leading companies in solar PV technology. (IY)

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