The Solar Rating & Certification Corporation (ICC-SRCC) is an ISO/IEC 17065-accredited third-party certification body specializing in solar heating and cooling products. ICC-SRCC’s certifications, ratings and listings are accepted throughout North America. ICC-SRCC’s consensus standards are referenced by specified by incentive programs, regulations, legislation and building codes. ICC-SRCC also provides listings for solar products that used by many code enforcement professionals.
A New Organization, A Long History
The modern solar industry was founded in 1974, following an oil embargo. In the years that followed, energy in all its forms became a national priority. Commercial and residential solar systems were available on a limited regional basis, but public acceptance and adoption was slow at first. Interest in solar grew, and it soon became evident that there was a need for a national program for the testing and rating of the products. Such a program would check compliance with minimum safety and durability requirements, and determine standardized performance ratings.
To address this need, a national consortium of U.S. state energy offices, regulatory bodies and industry associations came together. They collaborated to found the Solar Rating & Certification Corporation (SRCC) as a non-profit organization in 1980.
For many years, SRCC was housed within the Florida Solar Energy Center. While there, it expanded to certify concentrating collectors and eventually solar water heating systems.
A New Chapter
In November, 2014, SRCC became part of the International Code Council (ICC) Family of Companies. ICC develops the family of 15 I-Codes used by all 50 states in the U.S. as the basis of their building codes. ICC-SRCC is now a program of the ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES). It now offers a wide range of listings to codes and many other standards. And the reach of the certification programs has expanded to better serve Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean Region. .