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Required Certification! ETN Certification for PV Racking Systems for Rooftop Projects in France After Intersolar 2023 in Munich, Germany, the French ETN certification for PV module racking systems has been on the radar of more and more Chinese racking manufacturers. As of September 2023, although no Chinese racking manufacturer has yet obtained the French ETN certification, more and more Chinese racking manufacturers in the market have started to enquire about or plan for the certification application, planning to enter the French rooftop market. At the same time, most Chinese module manufacturers are also arranging to enter the ETN white list of French racking manufacturers in order to gain entry into the French rooftop and car park PV roofing market.   What is the French ETN certification for racking systems?   ETN (Etude de Technique Nouvelle) - Etude de Technique Nouvelle - is a technical study carried out by the French Control Office and the Centre de Science et Technique de la Construction (CSTC) on the compatibility of the racking system and PV modules, checking the overall system's waterproofing, mechanical resistance, protection against wind, resistance to compression, fire risk, and other key points and feasibility in different geographical areas.   The ETN certification for mounting systems in France is awarded to the manufacturer of the mounting system by a qualified certification body after testing and evaluating the mounting system and its matching components. ETN certified mounting manufacturers can work with different PV module manufacturers to add their modules to the white list of mounting installers, proving the compatibility of the modules and the mounting system.   In terms of necessity, before implementing a French rooftop PV and carport PV installation project, the installer's insurance company usually requires an ETN certification from the racking system manufacturer, as well as verification that the module products used in the project have been entered into the whitelist of that racking manufacturer, in order to validate the safety of the installation system and grant the installer ten years of insurance coverage. Without ETN certification, neither the bracket manufacturer nor the module manufacturer can be on the installer's supplier list. ETN certification is therefore essential for both bracket and component manufacturers entering roofing and carport projects in France.

At the Q3 2023 earnings briefing held this afternoon, DEYE Vice Chairman and General Manager Zhang Dongye said, "The incident in Germany has been properly handled, and this incident only affects the sales of the company's micro-inverter products in Germany in the short term. At present, the company has launched a new generation of micro-inverter products, and the market is recovering gradually. At present, the company's European inverter inventory is small, but the industry inventory is still in the process of selling and it is expected that it will be able to adjust to the normal state within one to two quarters (next year)."  In July this year, DEYE was exposed to the existence of microinverters produced and sold that were inconsistent with certification. DEYE then announced that the company's microinverter products sold to Germany lacked relays due to the deviation in the understanding of the relevant personnel of the company of the differences between the VDE4105 and UL1741 standards, and in consideration of the service life of the products.

Micro inverter: DC-AC, converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) and functions in the same way as a string inverter, except that because of its small size, it can be mounted directly underneath solar PV panels. Micro inverters can use solar energy to convert to AC power for people's daily use.     Micro-inverters are classified as single-phase and three-phase. Single-phase micro-inverters are suitable for residential neighbourhoods and small businesses. Three-phase micro-inverters are a bit higher than single-phase in terms of performance and stability and efficiency, and are suitable for commerce and industry.     Each solar panel is directly connected to a micro-inverter in parallel connection. The form of micro-inverters can be set up as one to one (each micro-inverter is connected to one PV module), one to two, one to three, one to four, etc., depending on the microgrid model.    String inverters are installed in series with the solar panels, so the amount of power generated by each panel is limited, and the amount of power generated at the top of the house will be lower. Micro-inverters have the advantage of being simpler to install, monitoring and optimising each solar panel individually to achieve the highest efficiency in solar energy usage.    

Anhui Solarasia Energy Technology Co., Ltd, is a company specializing in the R&D, sales, installation, operation, and maintenance of new energy products. Founded in 2016, the company is located in Hefei, Anhui Province, and its main products include solar panels, solar inverters, photovoltaic systems, lithium batteries, gel batteries, and other solar products. This company can also provide customized services according to the customer’s needs. Solarasia cooperates closely with tier-1 brands like Jinko, Longi, Trina, Sungrow, Huawei, Deye, and Growatt. The company has powerful R&D technology, adopts strict management measures, and passes ISO9001, ISO14001, and ISO45001 Certification System. The factory has a strong production capacity and advanced design capabilities by introducing advanced automatic production lines and testing equipment as well as has multiple product patents. In recent years, this company has exported solar products to more than 100 countries including the United States, Germany, South Africa, Romania, Vietnam, Lebanon, and New Zealand, and won the customer's praise. Furthermore, we have skilled engineers and professional sales consultants who will provide customers with timely pre-sale, in-sale, and after-sale services with professional knowledge and rich experience.