As the popularity of solar panels increases in the UK, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is preparing to release a new code of practice for the technology in 2014, Solar Power Portal reports. 

Entitled 'Code of Practice for the Design, Installation and Operation of Solar Photovoltaic Systems', it is intended to offer assurances to existing solar users and those looking to install the technology.

The code is expected to be published in mid-2014 and will also provide engineers and technicians with guidance on how to install the technology so that it can reach its full potential, while offering advice on how to do this in a safe and effective way.

According to Ray Noble, a member of the IET Solar Photovoltaic Technical Committee and the Department of Energy and Climate Change Solar Strategy group, the code will help installers and users meet the challenges set by the now maturing solar industry. 

“Key stakeholder involvement is critical to this Code of Practice, and so the development of this document by a respected body such as the IET will increase consumer confidence, while also meeting the needs of solar PV professionals, users and owners,” he told Solar Power Portal. 

In order to create the Code of Practice, the IET teamed up with the BRE National Solar Centre (NSC). 

The experts at the NSC were able to provide the technical details to add to the code. The organisation is the representative body for all companies in the solar PV supply chain. 

To complete the code, a technical committee of key stakeholders were also consulted in order to provide a broad consensus of what details needed to be included. 

Government support schemes, such as the feed-in tariff and the Green Deal, have helped to increase the uptake of solar installments on UK homes and business premises. With renewable power systems becoming a necessity for many, the code is needed to ensure that all allocations of PV are installed safely and can perform with maximum efficiency.