February 8, 2022
Advancements in photovoltaic lighting call for new criteria to evaluate safety
The market for solar streetlights continues to rapidly grow, thanks to technological advancements in photovoltaic (PV) lighting that deliver performance alongside energy efficiency. The emergence of new PV-powered luminaire systems combined with increased interest in solar and sustainable energy drove the need to create benchmarks for new PV lighting products in the marketplace, leading to UL’s publication of UL 8801, the Outline of Investigation for Photovoltaic (PV) Luminaire Systems.
The second edition of UL 8801 provides safety related testing and construction requirements specifically for luminaires and their systems, plus Annex B to address the output of power ports and to clarify the requirements for connecting a supplemental utility power source.
SOLTECH becomes the first to earn certification to UL 8801 for photovoltaic luminaires
SOLTECH, a manufacturer of commercial solar lighting, is the first to obtain certification to UL 8801 for its SUNLIKE products, fully integrated solar streetlights designed for residential and commercial use. The SUNLIKE product series integrates many technologies, including lighting, batteries, photovoltaics, new energy and intelligent control that UL tested as a system under UL 8801. Following the testing and certification processes, SOLTECH achieved official certification to UL 8801 for SUNLIKE products on Aug. 4, 2021. Steven Kang, global vice president and general manager of Appliances, HVAC and Lighting at UL, presented SOLTECH’s Lighting Division with the certificate during a ceremony held at the Guangzhou Lighting Exhibition in China.
“We are proud to have worked with UL for several years, and we’re thrilled that SOLTECH’s SUNLIKE Series is the first product line to get safety listed to UL 8801 OOI. This is one more example of SOLTECH’s leadership in solar luminaires.”
In the past, off-grid solar light fixtures in the market required manufacturers to individually test the safety of individual components like photovoltaic cells, batteries, control gear, and LED luminaires. UL 8801 OOI addresses the safety of the photovoltaic system as a whole, bringing together requirements for key system components in a way that helps ensure the power flow between them aligns with their individual known capabilities, system-level cumulative risks (such as heat generation) are properly evaluated, and individual component failure modes are adequately managed by the system control features.
Speaking about the UL 8801 Outline, Kang said, “UL is proud to offer solutions to meet the demands of increasingly complex products like photovoltaic lighting technologies.”
UL Certified SUNLIKE solar light fixtures are fully integrated LED solar area lights. They are designed for commercial applications, in different lumen outputs, up to 9,000 lumens.
UL listed, SOLTECH’s certified SUNLIKE products can be found on UL Product iQ® using the parametric search by company name, UL 8801, or CCN “IFPV”.
Learn about UL’s photovoltaic (PV) and solar lighting services and capabilities for residential applications, commercial and public spaces, and remote locations.