China’s MIIT clarifies five mandatory solar PV standards covering efficiency, safety, exports, testing, labelling and market compliance from 2027.
September 12, 2026. By EI News Network
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has issued detailed guidance on five mandatory national standards for the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, clarifying requirements related to domestic sales, exports, existing contracts, energy consumption, module testing, measurement traceability and product labelling.
The FAQ document, issued by MIIT provides manufacturers with guidance on applying the standards and demonstrating compliance. The standards are scheduled to come into force in stages from January 1, 2027.
China is introducing revised national energy-efficiency requirements covering several stages and products across the PV supply chain, including polysilicon, monocrystalline silicon, PV modules and inverters. The government has said the standards are intended to address gaps in energy-efficiency requirements for the solar PV industry and align domestic requirements with relevant international standards.
The five standards include GB 29447-2026, GB 47835-2026 and GB 47834-2026, covering energy-consumption requirements for polysilicon and monocrystalline silicon products as well as efficiency requirements for PV modules and inverters. GB 47739-2026 and GB 47740-2026 cover PV module safety and nameplate-marking requirements.
MIIT has described the standards as technical tools for regulating market competition and supporting production-capacity management in the PV industry. The new requirements are also expected to accelerate the retirement of inefficient production capacity.
Under the guidance, products falling within the scope of the mandatory standards must meet the applicable requirements. MIIT cited Article 25 of China’s Standards Law, under which products that fail to meet mandatory standards cannot be produced, sold, imported or supplied for distributed and large-scale projects.
However, the requirements do not apply in the same manner to products manufactured specifically for export markets. Such products can be produced for export without meeting the domestic mandatory requirements. If they are subsequently redirected for sale in China, they will have to comply with the applicable standards.
Exemptions also cover products intended for research and testing, certification samples, direct maintenance of already installed PV plants and commercial display where the products are not sold in the market.
MIIT has also clarified how manufacturers should handle production, inventory and contracts during the transition to the new standards.
Once the standards become effective, products will have to comply with the mandatory requirements in force regardless of when they were manufactured. The ministry has therefore advised companies to use the transition period to rationally plan production and clear existing inventory.
The guidance also applies to long-term contracts signed before the standards take effect. Companies have been advised to review existing stocks and long-term orders, complete payments ahead of time where appropriate and communicate with customers regarding contracts extending beyond the implementation date.
Where necessary, MIIT recommends that companies negotiate changes to technical terms in contracts to ensure compliance with the new requirements.
The FAQ provides additional clarification on energy-consumption calculations for silicon wafers. It distinguishes between full-wafer and half-wafer comparable yields and explains the application of conversion factors for calculating energy consumption.
The calculation is not limited to the core manufacturing process. MIIT states that production-related departments and units, including offices, operation rooms and changing rooms, are included in the comprehensive energy-consumption calculation. Cafeterias, break rooms and staff dormitories are also covered.
For PV modules, the guidance specifies requirements for mechanical-load testing. The test load must be determined based on the design load and the applicable safety factor. For example, where the design load is 2,400 Pa, the test load should be at least 3,600 Pa when the minimum safety factor is applied.
MIIT has also clarified requirements for verifying the rated power displayed on module nameplates. Modules must be tested under standard test conditions before leaving the factory.
For crystalline-silicon PV modules with a rated power above 250 W, the difference between measured maximum power and rated power must not exceed 5 W. For modules rated at 250 W or below, the permitted deviation is linked to their rated power.
The ministry has further unified measurement traceability requirements between the nameplate-marking and energy-efficiency standards. For PV module measurements, the guidance refers to the JJF unified traceability system.
According to MIIT, using the same measurement system for nameplate marking and energy-efficiency standards is intended to ensure consistent and comparable test results across laboratories and manufacturers, while strengthening measurement traceability.
The new requirements also cover QR codes displayed on PV module labels. MIIT said the QR-code link must remain normally accessible throughout the expected service life of the module.
If the link becomes invalid, it will be considered a non-compliant QR-code link, with responsibility placed on the manufacturer to maintain access to the information.
The ministry has also clarified that the efficiency standard does not require every production batch to undergo coupling environmental-load reduction testing. Manufacturers can determine the testing frequency internally, provided they ensure that the products continue to meet the mandatory standards.
The implementation of the five standards will take place in two stages. The energy-consumption standards covering polysilicon and monocrystalline silicon products, together with the efficiency standard for crystalline-silicon PV modules and inverters, are scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2027.
The mandatory standards covering PV module safety and nameplate marking will subsequently take effect from June 1, 2027.
The latest FAQ gives manufacturers additional clarity on how the requirements will apply to production, domestic sales, exports, inventory and contracts as China prepares to implement the new mandatory standards across its solar PV manufacturing industry.

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