I. National Standards
What to look for in national standards.
Regarding National Standard (GB) practices, the details are as follows: GB/T 14048.2 — National Standard Information Public Service Platform (Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 2: Circuit-breakers; Executive body: National Technical Committee on Low-voltage Electrical Apparatus; Competent authority: China Electrical Equipment Industry Association; Drafting body: Shanghai Electrical Apparatus Research Institute); Standard Revision — CNCA (The revision of GB/T 14048.2-2008 is GB/T 14048.2-2020 “Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 2: Circuit-breakers”; Issue date: 2020-09-29; Implementation date: 2021-04-01; CNCA); Appendix P — CNCA (Addition of Appendix D: Special requirements for circuit-breakers intended for connection to aluminum conductors; Addition of Appendix P [Normative]: DC circuit-breakers for PV applications; Addition of Appendix R [Normative]: Residual current operated circuit-breakers with automatic reclosing functions; CNCA); 440V — National Standard Information Public Service Platform (Electrical accessories – Circuit-breakers for overcurrent protection for household and similar installations – Part 3: Circuit-breakers for DC operation; Identical adoption of IEC 60898-3:2022; Rated DC voltage ≤ 440V, rated current ≤ 125A, rated short-circuit capacity ≤ 10,000; National Standard Information Public Service Platform); AC/DC — National Standard Information Public Service Platform (Electrical accessories – Circuit-breakers for overcurrent protection for household and similar installations – Part 2: Circuit-breakers for AC and DC operation; Identical adoption of IEC…
60898-2:2016 specifies supplementary technical requirements for single-pole and two-pole circuit-breakers intended for operation in DC circuits; Annexes cover requirements for circuit-breakers without overcurrent protection (Annex L), residual current device modules (Annex M), electromagnetic compatibility requirements and test methods for circuit-breaker accessories (Annex N), and instantaneous trip circuit-breakers (ICB) (Annex O)—GB/T 14048.2, version update, Annex P, 440V, AC/DC—a comprehensive review of the national standard.
II.
IEC
What to look for in IEC standards.
According to IEC practice, IEC looks at it this way: 60947-2 – IEC Webstore (IEC 60947-2:2016+AMD1:2019 CSV Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear Part 2 Circuit-breakers, applies to circuit-breakers the main contacts of which are intended to be connected to circuits the rated voltage of which does not exceed 1 000 V
a.c, IEC); 60947-2——Kuangya (IEC 60947-2 is the primary international standard for low-voltage switchgear and controlgear including DC MCCB, It specifies Rated voltage up to 1500V DC, Short-circuit breaking capacity Icu requirements, Temperature rise limits and environmental adaptability, Mechanical and electrical endurance tests, Kuangya); 60947-1——IEC
Webstore (IEC 60947-1:2020 Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear Part 1 General rules, applies when required by the relevant product standard, IEC); 60947-10——IECEE (IEC 60947-10:2026 applies to semiconductor circuit-breakers with a rated voltage up to 1 000 V AC or 1 500 V DC, intended to be installed and operated by instruction
or skilled persons, semiconductor circuit-breakers SCCBs having semiconductor switching elements, IECEE); 60947-2——Delixi (photovoltaic series CDMNEZ DC molded case circuit breakers comply with GB/T 14048.2, IEC 60947-1, IEC 60947-2, Delixi); 60947-2——NOARK (DC MCCB Estándar Cumple con IEC
60947-2, hasta 1000 VCC 800 A, Corriente nominal de 125 A a
40°C, NOARK) — IEC standards: 60947-2, 60947-2, 60947-1, 60947-10, 60947-2, 60947-2; full IEC compliance.
III.
Photovoltaics
What to look for in photovoltaics.
Regarding PV practices, here is a six-point overview: PV Circuit Breakers—National Standard Information Public Service Platform (General technical requirements for DC circuit breakers for PV applications—applicable to DC circuit breakers with rated voltages up to 1500V intended for use in PV systems; electrical performance, environmental, and operating conditions differ from the general circuit breaker conditions specified in GB14048.2-2008); Appendix P—Yuanchuangli Documents (Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 2: Circuit-breakers – GB/T 14048.2—2020, Appendix P: Normative Appendix on DC circuit breakers for PV applications; requirements and test methods for DC circuit breakers used in PV systems are included in Appendix P); 1500V—National Standard Information Public Service Platform (Key revision content: circuit breakers with rated AC voltages exceeding 1000V but not exceeding 1500V may be tested according to this standard); 1500V DC—ABB (Tmax PV series molded case circuit breakers comply with IEC and UL standards; used for protection and isolation of electrical systems up to 1500V DC and 800V AC; significant increases in both AC and DC operating voltage ratings); TUV—Alibaba (Suntree SM8-630HPV molded case circuit breaker supports 1500V DC voltage and 630A rated current; suitable for solar PV systems; holds TUV, CE, and SAA certifications; features 20/25kA breaking capacity); PV—CNCA (Addition of Normative Appendix P for DC circuit breakers for PV applications)—Six perspectives on PV: PV Circuit Breakers, Appendix P, 1500V, 1500V DC, TUV, and PV—a comprehensive six-point look at PV.
4. UL
What does UL look at?
According to UL practice, UL looks at it this way: 489B – UL Standards (UL 489B Molded-Case Circuit Breakers Molded-Case Switches and Circuit-Breaker Enclosures for Use with Photovoltaic PV Systems, Edition 1 Active, Published Date March 07 2016, Last Revision August 26 2025, UL); NEC 690 – Synode (For utility-scale PV projects in North America)
1500V DC circuit breaker selection is governed by NEC Article 690 and UL 489B, Understanding how these align and where they differ from IEC practice is essential before specifying equipment for U.S. or Canadian sites, Synode); 1500 V dc – UL Standards (These requirements cover molded-case circuit breaker molded-case switches and circuit-breaker enclosures rated up to 1500 V dc intended for use with photovoltaic
PV systems, UL); 489B – UL Solutions (UL 489 Molded-Case Circuit Breakers Switches and Enclosures, UL 489B Photovoltaic, UL 489C Wind Turbines, UL Solutions); ANSI – UL Standards (UL 489B ANSI Approved August 26 2025, UL); Red Line – UL Standards (UL 489B Red Line Edition 1 Active Published Date August
26 2025, UL) – UL six looks: 489B, NEC 690, 1500 V dc, 489B, ANSI, red line, six looks at UL are in place.
5. Choice
Choose what to watch.
Regarding selection criteria, consider these six factors: Region—Synode (if the project is in the U.S. or Canada, compliance rules shift from pure IEC selection toward listing and code acceptance); Icu—Synode (IEC 60947-2 governs low-voltage circuit breakers for DC applications and defines the minimum performance thresholds a device must meet to carry a 1500V DC rating; ultimate breaking capacity Icu is typically 10–25 kA at 1500V DC); 1500V DC—Kuangya (rated voltage up to 1500V DC; clearance and creepage distances); CE—Alibaba (holds TUV CE and SAA certificates, ensuring compliance with international safety and quality standards); SAA—Alibaba (holds TUV CE and SAA certificates); 450V—China Standards Online Service (GB/T 14048.2-2020 adopts IEC 60947-2:2019 with modifications; 228 pages). In summary, the selection process involves six key considerations: region, Icu, 1500V DC, CE, SAA, and 450V.
Conclusion
What are the certification standards for DC circuit breakers?
The conclusion is that one should examine these standards across five categories: National Standards (GB), IEC, Photovoltaic (PV) standards, UL, and specific selection criteria.
National Standards (GB/T 14048.2 “Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 2: Circuit-breakers,” modified adoption of IEC 60947-2:2016); CNCA (GB/T 14048.2-2020 standard revision, effective April 1, 2021); CNCA (addition of Normative Annex P regarding DC circuit-breakers for photovoltaic applications); National Standards (IEC 60898-3:2022 DC circuit-breakers for household use, 440V 125A); National Standards (IEC 60898-2:2016 AC/DC circuit-breakers).
