Lighting Global Quality Standards Published in Chinese
The Chinese-language version of the Lighting Global Quality Standards for off-grid solar pico products and plug-and-play solar home system kits, adopted by the International Electronics Commission (IEC) as Standards 62257-9-8 and 62257-9-5, were officially launched in Shenzhen last week. This marks an incredible achievement for the Lighting Global program and the off-grid solar sector, as this is the very first IEC Standard ever to be translated, adopted, and published in Chinese.
This launch has been part of Lighting Global’s larger strategy to accelerate the market for off-grid solar products in developing markets by deepening engagement with China-based manufacturers. As the majority of off-grid solar products on the global market are produced in China, we believe that publishing the Standards in Chinese, Chinese manufacturers will be encouraged to adopt and use them, thereby leading to a larger share of high-quality products on the global markets. As Dongfang Li, Director of the IEC Liaison Division at the Department of Standards Innovative Management of the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) of China stated, “these requirements will provide important guidance on developing reliable products, accelerate the establishment of standardization for solar products in China, and effectively protect consumers’ safety and interests.”
The Lighting Global program has been working towards this milestone since October 2019, when we initiated the translation process in collaboration with Shenzhen Technology University (SZTU) and the Shenzhen Academy of Metrology and Quality Inspection (SMQ).
Together with VeraSol, now leading Lighting Global’s Quality Assurance work, we look forward to working with Chinese stakeholders to ensure the quality of off-grid solar products and further the availability of high-quality products to global consumers.