PV industry boosts safety testing and laminator technology at SNEC 2026

At the 19th SNEC International Solar & Smart Energy Exhibition in Shanghai, PV safety specialist Fonrich New Energy and TÜV Rheinland announced the creation of a DC Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) Witness Testing Laboratory. The lab, accredited under UL 1699B and IEC 63027, enables localized testing, shortens certification cycles by 30‑60 % and provides globally recognised data to support multi‑market approvals. Fonrich also presented a three‑tier AFCI protection strategy covering module, string and system levels to address the hidden risk of DC‑side arcs that cause most PV plant fires.

In the same event, equipment supplier SC Solar unveiled two new laminators: the iLink Module Laminator, a modular system that can stack up to four PV modules and reduce line footprint by 62 % while increasing output per unit area by 220 %; and the OptiPure Clear Layer Laminator, featuring a transparent chamber for real‑time observation of material behavior during lamination. Both machines support a wide range of current and emerging cell technologies, including TOPCon, HJT, BC, perovskite and tandem cells, underscoring the industry's push toward advanced manufacturing capabilities.