Solar panels – Importing solar panels from China

PV modules should be certified to IEC 61215 (performance) and IEC 61730 (safety) and carry CE marking; inverters need CE marking, safety tests to IEC 62109 and compliance with the grid-connection rules of the destination country; lithium batteries need IEC 62619 safety tests, UN 38.3 transport tests and must follow the EU Battery Regulation. Asiaction checks that each certificate matches the exact model and factory, verifies it with the issuing body, and can arrange extra tests with SGS, Intertek or Bureau Veritas. A CCC certificate (China's own mark) is not valid in Europe. More in our EU product compliance guide.

Asiaction's sourcing study starts from your specification (power class, cell type, dimensions, certifications, volume) and shortlists 3 to 5 manufacturers after checking their registration, production lines and certificates. We contact many more factories than we shortlist: many do not pass our checks. For factories you already use, we start with a supplier verification or factory audit.

Module factories usually quote by the container, and the best prices are for full 40-foot containers or several containers per order. Production often takes 2 to 6 weeks after deposit depending on the factory's order book and any customisation (frame colour, labels, packaging), plus about 4 to 6 weeks of sea freight to Europe. Asiaction confirms the real MOQ and lead time with each shortlisted factory.

Asiaction inspects every production it follows, at AQL Level II (0 critical, 2.5 major, 4.0 minor) unless you choose another plan. For PV modules, this includes checking labels and power class against the flash-test data, visual defects (cracks, scratches, bubbles, frame and junction box), and when needed electroluminescence (EL) images to detect micro-cracks, plus packaging and pallet strength. The balance is paid to the factory only after the final inspection. See our product inspection service.

Modules travel by sea in full or shared containers, on pallets loaded to avoid breakage; rail is an option to Europe. Lithium batteries are dangerous goods (class 9) and need the right UN 38.3 documents, packaging and declarations: see how we handled a container stuck in transit. Asiaction organises sea, rail and air freight, and you follow each container in the client portal.

Yes. Island and overseas markets depend on imports for solar projects, and Asiaction ships full containers from China to the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific and the French overseas territories. We can group modules, inverters, batteries and mounting systems from different factories into one shipment to your port.