What Testing and Certifications Do Genie Insights’ Vehicle Solar Systems Have?
What Standards Should a Commercial Vehicle Solar Solution Meet?
There is currently no single standard that defines what a complete Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaic (VIPV) solar system for a commercial vehicle should achieve.
But we believe fitting solar technology to a working commercial vehicle demands a much higher level of assurance than simply demonstrating that an individual solar panel can generate electricity.
Commercial vehicles operate in demanding environments. Solar systems must contend with vibration from varying road surfaces, changing weather conditions, intensive daily use and integration with increasingly complex vehicle electrical systems.
At Genie Insights, our objective has therefore been to go beyond individual product certification and set the benchmark for transport solar.
Setting the Benchmark for Transport Solar
We are confident that no other VIPV solution on the market can match the breadth of testing, certification and compliance credentials achieved by Genie Insights.
Our approach considers the complete vehicle solar solution rather than the solar panel in isolation. This includes the panel, charge controller, connectors, cables and other critical elements that determine how safely and effectively the system performs on a vehicle.
Testing and assurance therefore extend across areas including mechanical durability, electrical and fire safety, electromagnetic compatibility, weather resistance, component quality and installation integrity.
The result is a vehicle solar solution developed around the realities of commercial fleet operation rather than simply adapting technology designed for a stationary solar installation.
Vehicle Solar Needs a Vehicle-Specific Approach
The requirements of VIPV are increasingly being recognised internationally.
Recent US Department of Energy research into vehicle-integrated solar highlighted weight, flexibility, vibration resistance, reliability, lifetime, maintenance and safety among the important requirements for vehicle solar, together with the need for appropriate testing and standards.
Many of these requirements reinforce the approach Genie Insights has already taken in developing solar solutions specifically for commercial vehicle applications.
Read what US research tells us about the future of commercial vehicle solar.
Assurance Across the Complete Solution
Our product assurance programme brings together independent testing, recognised international standards, vehicle-specific compliance and quality-controlled processes.
Key components within our systems, including the solar panel and charge controller, have undergone independent vibration and mechanical shock testing. Our MPPT charge controllers are ECE R10 compliant for electromagnetic compatibility, while the wider solution incorporates tested and certified components covering areas such as performance, safety and ingress protection.
But product assurance doesn’t stop when the individual components have been selected. Genie Insights operates an ISO 9001-certified Quality Management System, while defined installation procedures and quality controls help ensure that the way the technology is integrated onto the vehicle reflects the same standards expected of the products themselves.
Giving Fleets Confidence in Vehicle-Integrated Solar
As VIPV becomes more widely adopted across commercial transport, we believe fleets, vehicle manufacturers and converters should expect robust evidence that the technology they are installing is suitable for the environment in which it will operate.
For Genie Insights, that means considering everything from technology selection and component testing through to vehicle integration, installation quality and ongoing operation.
Our extensive testing, certification and quality assurance programme has been developed to provide that confidence and to help set a benchmark for how commercial vehicle solar should be engineered, tested and delivered.
