Distributed solar power revolution has successfully brought electricity to millions across Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs). The IEC has long provided world-class standards for individual solar components. Yet, in the field, a critical gap remains.

Recent field audits by the IEC Global Impact Fund (now the IEC Impact Alliance) and leading NGOs reveal systemic quality failures in rural installations.

To resolve these challenges, the IEC Standardization Management Board (SMB) has approved the establishment of the IEC’s first-ever International Workshop Agreement (IWA). Our goal is to bring the sector’s leading hands-on practitioners together with standardizers to create a fast-tracked, 12-to-18-month «field-to-standard» feedback loop.

The IWA will define clear inspection checklists, minimum performance thresholds, test procedures, and e-waste documentation across three critical phases:

Phase 1: Commissioning & Acceptance Establishing standardized visual and electrical checklists to eliminate installation errors and use of incorrect components before a system goes live.

Phase 2: Re-Commissioning (Repair & Rehabilitation) Creating field-level diagnostic and repair protocols to rehabilitate failing systems, define common performance measurements, and support a unified Repairability Index.

Phase 3: De-Commissioning & End-of-Life (EoL) Management Building a circular economy framework to safely disconnect, classify, package, and document the handover of decommissioned batteries and PV panels to certified waste treatment facilities.