What information must the radio frequency tag inside a rooftop solar module record?
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) specification says each module must carry a radio frequency identification tag laminated inside the glass, recording the maker, the cell maker, manufacturing month and year for cells and module, and country of origin, separately for cells and module.
The tag, clause 1.11
These are clauses from the technical specification in Annexure 3 of MNRE's guidelines for its residential rooftop solar scheme, Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. A factory is not bound by them, but they are a published checklist to hold a quotation against.
Modules deployed must use a radio frequency identification tag laminated inside the glass. The following information must be mentioned on each module's tag:
- Name of the manufacturer of the photovoltaic (PV) module, and name of the manufacturer of solar cells.
- Month and year of manufacture, separate for solar cells and modules.
- Country of origin, separately for solar cells and module.
- I-V curve for the module, with wattage, Im (current at maximum power), Vm (voltage at maximum power) and FF (fill factor).
- Unique serial number and model number of the module.
- Date and year of obtaining the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) PV module qualification certificate, and the name of the test lab issuing it.
- Other relevant information on traceability of solar cells and module as per ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 (International Organization for Standardization standards).
- Nominal wattage +3%, as printed.
What is printed on the glass
Clause 1.13 covers what is displayed inside the laminated glass, and the module datasheet checks page lists it. The maximum power output (Pmax) is on a label on the back (clause 1.12).
Why a buyer might want it
A cell maker and country printed separately from the module maker is the kind of evidence a domestic content or origin check needs. The model number suffix introduced in October 2026 carries the same two countries in a code. My reading: if your buyer or lender later asks where the modules were made, the tag data, the invoice and the datasheet should agree with one another, so photograph or log the tag details of a few modules at handover.
A handover checklist
- Ask the installer to read three or four modules with a tag reader at handover and give you the printout.
- Compare the serial numbers on the printout with the invoice and the delivery challan.
- Check that the cell country and module country are not blank.
- File the printout with the warranty certificates.
What Senseible does here
Senseible reads electricity bills into monthly records, so the units you import month by month sit in one place. It does not read module tags or datasheets.
- Why model numbers end in a country code
- Domestic content modules under PM Surya Ghar
- Does the ALMM rule apply to factory rooftop solar
- Datasheet checks before you accept modules
Last reviewed 2026-11-06. Re-check clause numbers and figures against the current version of the guidelines before you rely on them. The tag items are from Annexure 3 clause 1.11. Check the current ALMM and model number procedures for your own case.