Brazilian market will have specific standards for photovoltaic energy structures

Currently, Brazil does not yet have a specific standard for photovoltaic structures, but this should change soon. 

This is because several professionals are mobilizing to create a standard ABNT (Brazilian Association of Technical Standards) to standardize the technical requirements for photovoltaic module fixing structures.

In an interview with Canal Solar, professionals from the solar sector told how work has been carried out to develop a standard for the photovoltaic structures segment.

Doctor Roberto Valer, a research scientist in the field of solar energy in Brazil, says that the subject began to take shape in December 2019 after a meeting between professionals in the sector. 

“We took the proposal to ABNT, which deemed it appropriate for the standard to be worked on within the Solar Energy photovoltaic conversion systems study committee (CE-003:082.001). With that, I started calling on all manufacturers to participate in the creation of the working group”, explains Valer.

In parallel with this work, professionals in the segment began to mobilize to also support the creation of this standard. “There was a problem at a facility and several people started speaking out. One of these professionals commented that there should be a standard, since when buying a product from a distributor it is understood that the product is correct”, reports Júlio Tavernaro, commercial director at SPIN Estruturas

After this discussion, Tavernaro contacted professionals in the segment to continue the matter. “I created a group on WhatsApp and called two manufacturers that I have personal contact with. One of them is Ronaldo Koloszuk, from Solar Group, and Vivian Regner, from K2. I called them both and told them that I was creating a group on WhatsApp to create a working group, understand what is needed and start moving towards creating standardization of structures”, he says.

With this movement, the mobilization in favor of the creation of the standard gained strength while the DR. Valer served on the study committee, unifying all professionals who strive for this standard.

Positive impact on the solar energy structures segment 

For Ronaldo Koloszuk, CEO of Solar Group, the expectation is that standardization will impact the segment in a positive way. “A photovoltaic structure is expected to last at least 25 years. For this reason, the creation of a standard will bring more security to the solar market, as it will guarantee the quality of these equipment and installations. And, to achieve this, one must consider, among other things, Brazil's climate, which directly impacts the quality of the structures”, highlights Koloszuk.

Koloszuk classifies this mobilization as fundamental to strengthening the sector. “This move by manufacturers to standardize the efficiency of photovoltaic structures and their installations is very healthy. Because the entire production chain works together, bringing greater peace of mind and security to integrators and customers who invest in solar energy”, highlights the executive.

The first meeting of GT 02, as it was designated by ABNT, was held online in December last year. At this meeting, the work plan that the group must follow to present the form for creating the standard at ABNT was defined, in addition to explaining the process for creating a standard. 

For Vivian Regner, Product Development and Technical Sales manager at K2 Systems do Brasil, the subject is extremely relevant for the segment. “Structures are still not given as much importance as they should be, which is an essential part of the system. Because there is no point in buying the best module on the market, installing it in any structure and putting all of this at risk”, he highlights.

“The creation of this standard will definitely take away small businesses that are not taking security seriously and will be a big step forward in terms of security for everyone involved. All installers will see that the company follows the rules and will be able to feel safe”, emphasizes Vivian.

“As a representative of K2 in this group, I took the international standards to the committee, which were given to everyone so that they could be discussed so that they could bring the best of these good practices to practices in Brazil. The idea is that we can equip ourselves and follow the level of the international market”, he adds.

Materials in the production of structures

Tavernaro also states that defining a single material for the manufacture of photovoltaic structures is not the group's objective. “It's very bad for the market when a certain material is standardized, because you rob people and companies of their creativity. The market has to be open”, he highlights.

“There will be no material limitations. We want to standardize product efficiency and not limit characteristics and types of materials. This has already been pre-defined by the group. Our objective is not to stop the market”, he adds.

The executive also emphasizes that this way the continuity of the market is guaranteed and also encourages the development of new technologies. “We have a multitude of materials and products. Just the definition of the raw material does not define the efficiency of a product. It all depends on the process. Today, manufacturing processes are different from manufacturers A, B, C, D or E. Each one has its own expertise and know-how that comes from the past”, he comments.

Work group

To create the standards, GT02 – Structures was created, which is part of the study committee for Solar Energy photovoltaic conversion systems (CE-003:082.001). As coordinator of the GT, Raphael Vaz, Product Engineer at 2P Acessórios, was appointed.

The engineer clarified that meetings have been held online since December last year. In these meetings, group members are defining the necessary requirements for the structure of the photovoltaic system to behave as expected. “Material resistance, resistance to wind, corrosion, among other characteristics suitable for Brazil”, explains Vaz.

Creation of standards at ABNT

According to ABNT, any interested party can present their demand to ABNT, using the Demand Form, available on the association's website. The document must be filled out with as much information as possible, to facilitate the process of analyzing the relevance and relevance of the subject as a Brazilian Standard.

ABNT also highlights the following important aspects for making the process viable:

• It is not possible to prepare a Brazilian Standard for a patented product;
• It is necessary to have support from other interested parties, in addition to the plaintiff;
• For product standards, the existence of a national manufacturer is important;
• If there is legislation (Laws, Resolutions, Regulations, etc.);
• If there is any technical standard, in particular, international standard (ISO or IEC standards) or foreign standard (standards from other countries).
• The demands are analyzed by ABNT and from there the creation of a specific Committee or Commission for the development of the document is decided or not.

According to the association, standardization is essential so that products, processes and services guarantee a minimum level of quality and safety.