The International Standards for Solar Thermal Collectors and Components as a Medium of Quality Assurance

Within this publication a detailed overview about the national and international solal‘t1lel1nai standards is made. The various tests are described and a cross reference list for comparing the different standards is given. Moreover a certification model is presented and the advantage of third party assessment is carried out. The requirement for a solar thermal test laboratory to conduct independent third party assessment by means of an ISO/IEC17065 accreditation is given. Finally the concept of a quality system for solar thermal markets is explained and major advantages are outlined. Solar thermal systems and their components are described in various national and international standards. In Europe the standard EN12975 de?nes the regulations and requirements for solar thermal collectors. The standard EN12976 is established for the evaluation of factory made solar thermal systems. The EN12977 is the state of the art standard for the evaluation of custom build systems. Nowadays in Libya the standard ISO9806 for solar collectors and the standard ISO9459 for domestic water heating systems de?ne the regulations and requirements for solar thermal collectors and systems. In the meanwhile, empowered Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Ef?ciency Certi?cation Body is under construction. This body is working now to set the minimum requirements of the testing facilities of solar thermal systems. The international standard for collector testing is the ISO9806 and the standard ISO9459 Part2,4,5 for domestic water heating systems. Within the year 2013 a revision of the ISO9806 will be published and, for the ?rst time, a consistent harmonized standard for the main solar thermal markets will be set in force. Besides the various standards for solar thermal products a meaningful element for the quality assurance and the customer protection is third party certi?cation. Third party certi?cation involves an independent assessment, declaring that speci?ed requirements regarding a product are ful?lled. In a certi?cation process based on speci?ed certi?cation rules an authorized certi?cation body is con?rming that a solar thermal product has passed performance tests, reliability tests and further requirements according to the standards. In Europe a certi?cation body holds an accreditation according to EN45011. At international level the standard ISO/IEC17065 is in force. Test results as a basis for product certi?cation are determined by solar thermal test laboratories. The imple