# IEC 62109 / 62116 — PV inverter safety and anti-islanding

> IEC 62109 is the safety standard for power conversion equipment in photovoltaic systems — the inverter and its electronics — covering protection against electric shock, energy, fire and mechanical hazards. IEC 62116 is the test procedure that proves an inverter disconnects when the grid is lost (anti-islanding). Together they make a PV inverter safe to touch and safe to connect.

- Source : https://industryhub.site/en/standards/iec-62109
- Body : IEC
- Family : Photovoltaics
- Status : current
- First published : 2010
- Latest revision : 62109-3 (2020); 62116 Ed. 2 (2014)
- Edition : Multi-part
- Next revision : Active maintenance
- Access : Paid (IEC webstore)
- Language : English

## Document structure

- **IEC 62109-1:2010** — General requirements (PCE) : Minimum requirements for the design and manufacture of power conversion equipment in PV systems — protection against electric shock, energy, fire, thermal and mechanical hazards. The base that every PV converter must meet.
- **IEC 62109-2:2011** — Particular requirements for inverters : Inverter-specific safety requirements, used jointly with Part 1. Covers grid-interactive, stand-alone and multi-mode inverters, including those tied to batteries or storage.
- **IEC 62109-3:2020** — Electronics combined with PV elements : Particular requirements for electronic devices integrated with photovoltaic elements — module-level power electronics such as optimisers and microinverters.
- **IEC 62116:2014** — Anti-islanding test procedure : A test method, not a product standard. It proves that a utility-interconnected inverter detects loss of the grid and disconnects, preventing a dangerous island.

## Key concepts

- **Power conversion equipment (PCE) (PCE)** : The collective name IEC 62109 gives to PV inverters, DC-DC converters and combined units. The standard sets one safety floor for all of them before any application-specific rules apply.
- **Two parts, used together** : 62109-1 carries the general electrical-safety requirements; 62109-2 adds what is specific to inverters. A certificate to Part 2 only means anything alongside Part 1 — they are never separated.
- **Islanding** : An island forms when an inverter keeps energising a section of grid after the utility supply is lost. It endangers maintenance crews and can damage equipment on reconnection — the hazard anti-islanding exists to remove.
- **Anti-islanding test (IEC 62116)** : A controlled test that removes the grid and checks the inverter trips within the required time. Passing it is a precondition for grid connection in most markets, alongside the local grid code.
- **Decoupling and grid codes** : Anti-islanding sits next to the loss-of-mains and voltage/frequency decoupling protection that national grid codes require. 62116 proves the inverter's own detection; the grid code sets the trip thresholds.

## Making the inverter safe — and well-behaved on the grid

A photovoltaic array produces direct current; the inverter turns it into grid-quality alternating current. That box sits between high-voltage DC strings and the public network, so it must be **safe to touch** and **safe to connect**. Two IEC documents cover those two duties. **IEC 62109** is the product-safety standard for the inverter and its electronics. **IEC 62116** is the test that proves the inverter behaves correctly when the grid disappears.

## Two standards, two jobs

IEC 62109 treats the inverter as **power conversion equipment** and sets the floor for protection against electric shock, stored energy, fire, thermal and mechanical hazards. It comes in parts that are used together: **62109-1** carries the general requirements, **62109-2** adds the specifics for inverters — grid-interactive, stand-alone or multi-mode, including those tied to batteries — and **62109-3** addresses electronics built into the modules themselves, such as optimisers and microinverters. A certificate to Part 2 only counts alongside Part 1; they are never split.

## Anti-islanding — disconnecting when the grid dies

The dangerous failure mode of a grid-tied inverter is an **island**: it keeps energising a dead section of network after the utility supply is lost, endangering maintenance crews and risking damage on reconnection. **IEC 62116** is the controlled test that removes the grid and confirms the inverter detects the loss and trips within the required time. Passing it is a precondition for connection in most markets, working alongside the national **grid code** that fixes the voltage and frequency decoupling thresholds.

## Where it sits

PV inverter standards are one layer of a stack. The modules upstream are qualified by [IEC 61215](/en/standards/iec-61215); the completed system is commissioned and tested per [IEC 62446](/en/standards/iec-62446); the DC installation follows [IEC 60364](/en/standards/iec-60364); and the inverter's emissions and immunity are governed by [IEC 61000](/en/standards/iec-61000) so it neither pollutes the grid nor is disturbed by it.

## Applicable industries

Utility-scale and rooftop photovoltaic plants, Solar-plus-storage and hybrid inverters, Inverter, optimiser and microinverter manufacturers, Test laboratories and certification bodies

## References & further reading

- [IEC 62109-2:2011 — inverter safety (official)](https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/6471)
- [IEC 62116:2014 — anti-islanding test (official)](https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/6479)