MNRE Releases Draft Guidelines for Testing and Approval of Solar Inverters
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has released draft guidelines to streamline the approval and testing of off-grid, grid-tied, and hybrid solar inverters for compulsory registration with BIS for the implementation of the Solar Systems, Devices and Components Goods Order, 2025.
June 26, 2025. By Mrinmoy Dey
MNRE has also sought stakeholder consultation on the draft guidelines. Comments can be sent till July 8, 2025.
The guidelines will be applicable to SPV-based off-grid, grid-tied, and hybrid inverters. It is intended to help both manufacturers and test laboratories navigate compliance, product series classification, and testing requirements more effectively.
The draft specifies that the highest-rated model in a product family can represent the entire series for safety and anti-islanding tests (as per IS 16221 Part 2 and IS 16169). This can be both cost as well as time effitive. However, individual model testing is mandatory for performance-related standards like IS/IEC 61683 and IEC 62891 due to efficiency variations.
All inverters in a series must share key hardware and firmware configurations, including PCB layout, voltage ratings, output phase, and insulation class. Any deviation, especially in cabinet design or internal architecture, requires additional validation or separate testing.
The draft mandates that manufacturers must submit comprehensive technical documentation, including circuit diagrams, BOMs, firmware versioning, and even unpopulated PCBs, for tests to be accepted by NABL-accredited labs.
It further states that all inverters must carry permanent, legible markings as per IS 16221 Part II, indicating manufacturer details, model number, voltage, frequency, power ratings, and IP protection class.
Mentioning about retesting protocols, the draft clarified that if a product fails any test sequence, only that sequence is to be repeated with a new sample after a construction and component review. A second failure in the same sequence results in overall failure.
The draft mandates Labs to include all brands and respective model numbers in test reports. “A single sample can represent multiple brands if manufacturer declarations support equivalency, but products made at different facilities will require separate tests,” it added.
“Pass criteria for Solar Inverters must be as per IS 16169 and IS 16221 Part II, wherever applicable,” noted the draft.
By formalising a consistent and transparent framework, the MNRE aims to eliminate ambiguity in inverter testing and bolster confidence in product quality. The testing and approval will ultimately facilitate compulsory registration with BIS for the implementation of the Solar Systems, Devices and Components Goods Order, 2025.
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