What certification do solar panels need to be sold in Japan?
Modules sold under Japan’s FIT/FIP scheme at under 10kW must meet five Japan Industrial Standards (JIS): C61215-1, C61215-2, C61730-1, C61730-2 and C8993, or show equivalent performance and quality. These closely track the equivalent international standards, with Japan-specific additions such as the C8993 fire test.
The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy’s solar guideline traces the JIS module requirement to Article 5, Paragraph 2, Item 8 of the enforcement regulation for the renewable energy special measures act. The current set took effect February 20, 2020, replacing the older JIS C8990, C8991, C8992-1 and C8992-2 series; products certified under the old standards stay valid for five years from their certification date.
Japan’s FIT solar guideline also sets a minimum true conversion efficiency, measured under JIS C8960: 13.5% for monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon modules, 7.0% for thin-film modules, and 8.0% for compound-semiconductor modules. Japan Electrical Safety and Environment Technology Laboratories (JET) certifies modules through its JETPVm program, pairing a design and safety qualification with a JIS Q 8901 long-term reliability and warranty audit.
Does a grid-connected solar inverter need its own certification in Japan?
Yes. A power conditioner’s certification is separate from the module’s. JET tests and certifies grid-tied inverters through a dedicated grid-interconnection protection device program, checking islanding-detection and protection functions before a utility will waive its own interconnection review.
JET’s certification committee checks conformity against the Grid Interconnection Technical Requirements Guideline for Ensuring Power Quality and the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act, then audits the factory for consistent production.
Japan’s reference standards for the hardware itself, listed in the FIT solar guideline’s own standards appendix, are JIS C8980:2020 for small-output power conditioners, JIS C8962:2008 for their test method, and JIS C8963:2011 for the islanding-detection test used in the grid-interconnection review.
Do rooftop or ground-mounted solar panels need a Building Standards Act permit in Japan?
Since October 1, 2011, freestanding solar power facilities classed as electrical equipment have been excluded from the Building Standards Act’s “structures” category, under a land-ministry notice. Ground-mounted arrays qualify if no one occupies the space beneath them. Panels built into the roof or wall as the material itself sit outside that carve-out.
The exclusion comes from MLIT notice Kokujuushi No. 4936 of March 25, 2011, which amended Article 138, Paragraph 1 of the Building Standards Act Enforcement Order, effective that October 1. It designates solar power facilities meeting the Electricity Business Act’s Article 2, Paragraph 1, Item 16 definition of electrical equipment as excluded from that category.
For roof-mounted systems the building itself still needs a valid record: Japan’s FIT/FIP solar guideline requires applicants to submit a copy of the building’s Building Standards Act completion certificate, confirmed through the prefecture’s designated inspection body. A panel installed as the roofing or cladding material itself, rather than mounted as equipment, falls outside the 2011 exclusion, since that notice covers equipment, not building material.
| Equipment | Current JIS standard | Superseded standard | Japan certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystalline-silicon module design | JIS C61215-1, -1-1, -2 (2020) | JIS C8990 | JETPVm |
| Thin-film module design | JIS C61215-1-2 / -1-3 / -1-4 (2020) | JIS C8991 | JETPVm |
| Module safety and fire test | JIS C61730-1, -2, C8993 (2020) | JIS C8992-1, -2 | JETPVm |
| Small-output power conditioner | JIS C8980 (2020) | JIS C8962 (2008) | JET PCS test |
| Grid-interconnection protection | JIS C8963 (2011) | – | JET interconnection certification |
Does a solar module need JIS certification to qualify for Japan’s FIT or FIP tariff?
For systems under 10kW, yes: Japan’s enforcement regulation for the renewable-energy special measures act requires JIS C61215, C61730 and C8993 compliance, or equivalent performance and quality, before certification. For 10kW or more, JIS-standard modules are recommended, not mandatory.
Are solar modules certified only to IEC standards accepted in Japan?
The regulation allows modules with performance and quality equivalent to the JIS standards, which closely track IEC 61215 and IEC 61730. In practice, most manufacturers document that equivalence with Japan’s own JETPVm mark, since that is what distributors and utilities recognize directly.
Is a grid-connected inverter’s certification separate from the solar module’s certification?
Yes. Modules are certified under JETPVm; power conditioners go through JET’s separate grid-interconnection protection device certification, which tests islanding detection and protection functions against JIS C8963 so the utility can waive its own individual interconnection review.
Do rooftop-mounted solar panels require their own building permit in Japan?
Rack-mounted panels classed as electrical equipment have been excluded from the Building Standards Act’s structure rules since October 2011, but the building underneath still needs a valid completion certificate for Japan’s FIT/FIP process.