pv fire california
Whether we know it or not, most of us buying cheap solar panels for our solar energy house need panels that have Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification. It does not matter whether they are cheap solar panels or very expensive solar panels, it is the UL certification that matters. Here’s why:
Cheap Solar Panels for Grid Tied Systems
If you want your solar panels to be connected to the electricity Grid, your photovoltaic (PV) panels MUST have a UL certificate (this is true for the USA, and many other countries have similar regulations). If your PV panels do NOT have UL certification you will NOT be allowed to connect them to the grid. To do so or attempt to do so will be a criminal offence in many countries.
Cheap Solar Panels for Government Rebates & Tax Incentives
In the USA, if you want a solar energy house and want your photovoltaic panels to qualify for government rebates and tax incentives, your panels MUST be UL certified. It does not matter how much you paid for them or what warranties they came with, no Underwriters Labs certification means no money from the Government.
Note: UL certification is still not a guarantee that you your panels are approved by your state. Not all panels that have UL certification have been through each state’s approval process, so it is possible to have a UL certified panel that does not (yet) qualify. Please check with the appropriate authorities. You don’t want to spend $15,000 on PV panels only to find out that they don’t qualify. Keep in mind that Government incentives can add up to a staggering 60% of the total cost in some US states!
House Insurance
If one of your PV panels catches fire and damages your property, your insurance company could be very reluctant to pay out if your panels do are not UL certified.
Off Grid Systems
If you want to buy cheap solar panels for an off grid installation and are not looking to claim the financial incentives on offer from your Government, you don’t have to get solar panels with the appropriate certification. But keep in mind that panels only get Underwriters Laboratories certification after passing a rigorous testing regime. Therefore, wherever possible, try and obtain UL certified panels, even if you don’t actually have to.
UL Certification
Although in the USA every state is different, California has stated that qualifying PV panels must be certified to UL1703 and additionally have IEC61215 for crystalline panels and IEC61646 for thin film panels.
To obtain UL certification PV panels go through various tests to see how well they might perform after a prolonged exposure to weather elements and even extreme temperatures. These tests also gauge the sturdiness of the insulating materials and the performance of the wiring: how quickly do they stop working, whether they leak too much current or pose fire and health hazards. Buying cheap solar panels with UL certification should give you the peace of mind that your panels are safe and will give you decades of good reliable service.
Conclusion
For the majority of us it is vital that the cheap solar panels we buy have UL certification 1703. Even if you are going for an off grid system, it makes sound sense to buy PV panels with UL certification. Our investigations indicate that there is rarely a premium to be paid for solar panels with UL certification. I wish you all the best with your solar energy house.
Article written by Phil Paine
For more information on renewable energy and details of where to buy solar panel bargains, see: solar panel home.
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