China clarified how the new mandatory rules that will come into effect should be applied in practice. on the photovoltaic industry from 2027.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published a guide that clarifies doubts about marketing, exports, existing contracts, module testing, traceability and labeling.
The main point is that, once the new standards come into effect, the products covered must comply with the requirements regardless of when they were manufactured . In other words, having stock produced before 2027 will not allow one to circumvent the new rules if that material is intended to be sold or used later in the Chinese market.
The MIIT also confirmed a relevant exception for foreign trade: mandatory requirements will not apply to products intended exclusively for export . However, if that equipment is subsequently redirected to the domestic market, it will have to comply with national standards.
The clarification comes after China defined a new energy efficiency and safety framework for various stages of the photovoltaic chain, from polysilicon and monocrystalline silicon to modules and inverters. This framework was already known; what's new is how manufacturers and suppliers will have to operate during the transition period and how compliance will be verified .
The document published by the MIIT on September 7 addresses five mandatory national standards. GB 29447-2026, GB 47835-2026, and GB 47834-2026 regulate requirements related to the energy consumption of polysilicon and monocrystalline silicon, as well as the efficiency of photovoltaic modules and inverters.
For their part, GB 47739-2026 and GB 47740-2026 establish requirements related to the safety of the modules and the marking of their nameplates.
The timetable will be staggered. Energy consumption standards for polysilicon and monocrystalline silicon, along with efficiency requirements for photovoltaic modules and crystalline silicon inverters, will come into effect on January 1, 2027 .
Mandatory regulations on module safety and nameplate marking will come into force on June 1, 2027 .
The guidance also clarifies what will happen to contracts signed before those dates. The MIIT recommends that companies review long-term orders and inventories and, where appropriate, renegotiate the technical terms of agreements whose execution extends beyond the effective date of the new standards .
The criterion will be the same as for stored products: a previous contract does not exempt from future compliance.
The Ministry advises taking advantage of the transition period to organize production and sell off existing inventory before the regulatory change, as well as coordinating with clients regarding possible contractual modifications.
In the domestic market, the requirements will be stricter. According to the MIIT clarification and Article 25 of China's Standards Law, products covered by mandatory standards that do not comply will not be allowed to be produced, marketed, imported, or used in distributed or large-scale photovoltaic projects .
The exemption will cover, in addition to equipment intended for export, products used for research, testing, certification samples, direct maintenance of existing plants or commercial exhibitions without commercialization.
The new guide also goes into detail about the technical checks that will need to be carried out.
In the case of the modules, the MIIT specified how the power indicated on the nameplate should be verified. Before leaving the factory, the equipment must undergo testing under standard conditions.
For crystalline silicon modules with a power rating above 250 W , the difference between the maximum measured power and the declared nominal power may not exceed 5 W. For equipment of 250 W or less, the permissible deviation will depend on the nominal power.
Traceability requirements will also be unified between energy efficiency standards and those related to module marking.
The measurements must follow the JJF traceability system, with the aim of ensuring that the results are comparable between laboratories and manufacturers and that there is a common reference to verify the declared performance.
Testing, mechanical loads and QR codes under new rules
The MIIT also specified how certain mechanical strength tests should be performed. The test load must be calculated based on the design load and the corresponding safety factor.
For example, if a module was designed to withstand a load of 2400 Pa , the load applied during the test should be at least 3600 Pa when using the minimum safety factor provided.
The guide also addresses QR codes included on labels. The associated link must remain operational throughout the module's expected lifespan .
If it stops working, the code will be considered non-compliant and the responsibility for keeping it active will fall on the manufacturer.
The MIIT also clarifies that efficiency standards do not require testing each production batch in specific coupled environmental load reduction tests. Companies may establish their own testing frequency as long as they guarantee compliance with mandatory standards.
Regarding the calculation of the energy consumption of silicon wafers, the Ministry details how to convert the production of full and half wafers to comparable values.
The scope of consumption will not be limited exclusively to industrial lines. Calculations must include units and spaces linked to the production process, such as offices, operating rooms, changing rooms, cafeterias, rest areas, and staff dormitories.
The Chinese government presents this regulatory package as a tool to regulate competition and improve the management of photovoltaic manufacturing capacity .
The previously known framework raises the requirements for module efficiency and energy consumption in manufacturing, but the current publication aims to resolve an operational issue: what companies will be able to sell, what they will be able to export, how they will have to handle contracts and inventories, and what tests products will have to pass from 2027 onwards .