On July 30, 2026, the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) published the draft of SASO IEC 63222-2:2026 for public consultation. The draft proposes stricter energy-efficiency requirements for photovoltaic cleaning equipment, including a planned 35% reduction in the maximum energy consumption per unit of cleaning area and the addition of mandatory standby power consumption requirements. For photovoltaic cleaning equipment manufacturers, exporters, and related supporting businesses targeting the Saudi market, this is not merely a standards update. It is also directly related to product design, testing and verification, delivery schedules, and customer communication arrangements, and therefore deserves continued attention.

Clear Signals Released by the Draft

The confirmed information indicates that SASO published the new draft standard SASO IEC 63222-2:2026 on July 30, 2026. The draft proposes reducing the maximum energy consumption per unit of cleaning area for photovoltaic cleaning equipment from the current 1.8 kWh/km² to 1.17 kWh/km², representing a reduction of 35%. At the same time, the draft introduces a mandatory requirement that standby power consumption must not exceed 0.5W.

According to the disclosed information, the draft has now entered a 60-day public consultation period and is expected to be officially implemented in November 2026. The summary also states that Chinese exporters will need to upgrade their motor drive algorithms and power management modules simultaneously to meet the new requirements.

Which Business Areas Will Feel the Pressure First

Equipment Manufacturing and Trading for Exports to Saudi Arabia

The analysis indicates that manufacturers and export trading companies directly supplying the Saudi market will be affected first. This is because the core adjustments in the draft concern equipment energy-consumption indicators and standby power requirements, with the initial impact falling on whether products meet the technical threshold for entry into the target market. Relevant business units need to focus on whether existing models currently on sale still meet the proposed standard, whether prototype verification arrangements need to be brought forward, and whether the technical terms of orders currently under negotiation need to be updated accordingly.

Supporting Areas Related to Motor Drives and Power Management

From an industry perspective, supporting development and integration activities related to motor drive algorithms and power management modules will also be directly affected. The summary has clearly stated that Chinese exporters need to upgrade both areas simultaneously, meaning that supply-chain coordination and R&D collaboration will become key points in practical implementation. The main changes to monitor are the technical adaptation cycle, component selection adjustments, and the recalibration of the complete equipment energy-consumption control solution.

Procurement and End-User Project Coordination

The procurement and end-user project coordination stages will also be indirectly affected. For procurement and project cooperation targeting the Saudi market, although the draft standard is still in the public consultation period, its expected implementation date has provided a relatively clear timeframe. Relevant businesses need to monitor whether the subsequent final text changes and use this information to determine whether procurement specifications, delivery schedules, and acceptance requirements need to be adjusted in advance.

Several Matters Companies Should Monitor More Closely Now

First Distinguish the Draft Status from Formal Implementation Requirements

The first priority at present is to recognize that this document remains in the 60-day public consultation period. In practice, companies should neither treat it as an already effective final rule nor wait until before formal implementation to address it all at once. A more prudent approach is to conduct a preliminary technical gap assessment based on the current draft requirements while continuing to monitor whether subsequent official statements are adjusted.

Break Down the Energy-Consumption Indicators by Product and Module

Based on the summary, companies should not limit their attention to the statement that the “standard has become stricter.” Instead, they should further break the requirements down into specific product models, control strategies, and power-supply management solutions. In particular, the reduction in the maximum energy consumption per unit of cleaning area and the newly added mandatory standby power constraint mean that both overall equipment energy-efficiency optimization and standby control capabilities need to be checked separately.

Allow Time for Testing, Verification, and Delivery Communication

The analysis indicates that if a company's products were originally designed according to the current standard, it may subsequently face the need for re-verification, supplementary documentation, or reconfirmation of technical conditions with customers. For export businesses, testing and verification cycles, prototype preparation, technical document updates, and customer communication need to be managed within the same schedule to reduce the risk of passive adjustments during the subsequent delivery stage.

Monitor Whether Supply-Chain Coordination Can Keep Pace with the Upgrade Schedule

As the summary has clearly mentioned upgrades to motor drive algorithms and power management modules, relevant companies also need to assess the coordination efficiency among supporting suppliers and their internal R&D, procurement, and delivery teams. The key issue is not only whether changes can be made, but also whether solution confirmation, product adaptation, and external communication can be completed before the expected implementation date.

This Appears to Be a Clear Signal of Technical Tightening

From an analytical perspective, this information is better understood as a clear signal of technical tightening that has entered a defined regulatory process, rather than merely a change in wording. On the one hand, the maximum energy consumption has been reduced from 1.8 kWh/km² to 1.17 kWh/km², making the adjustment sufficiently specific. On the other hand, the requirement that standby power consumption be ≤0.5W indicates that regulatory attention is not limited to the operating stage but also extends to the energy performance of equipment in standby conditions.

It should also be made clear that this remains a draft rather than a final implementation document. Therefore, the industry should currently regard it as a development in which “the direction is already clear, but the details still require continued verification,” rather than directly deriving all market outcomes from it. Whether the provisions will be further refined or the implementation approach will change still depends on the formally issued content.

From Short-Term Preparation to Medium-Term Implementation of the Rules

Overall, the significance of this new draft published by SASO for companies involved in photovoltaic cleaning equipment lies mainly in exposing the upcoming compliance priorities in advance: operating energy-consumption control will become stricter, and standby power management will also be subject to explicit requirements. For companies exporting to the Saudi market, it is currently more appropriate to understand this as a regulatory change requiring early preparation, rather than a routine update that can be addressed only after formal implementation.

At the industry level, this information contains both short-term developments during the consultation period that require follow-up and a clear direction toward medium-term implementation of the rules. Whether it will become a final binding requirement and how it will be implemented should still be determined based on the official documents issued around November 2026.

Basis of This Article and Directions for Further Verification

This article was generated based on the information provided by the user, including the information title, the date of the event, and the event summary. The core basis includes the draft SASO IEC 63222-2:2026 issued by Saudi Arabia's SASO, the event date of July 30, 2026, and summary information concerning the reduction in the maximum energy consumption per unit of cleaning area, standby power requirements, the public consultation period, and the expected implementation date.

For this type of information, cross-verification should generally also be conducted against official announcements, documents issued by standards organizations, corporate announcements, industry association information, and reports from authoritative media. It should be noted that the input information does not provide a specific link to an official source, so the relevant statements still need to be continuously verified against formally published public documents. The areas that deserve closer attention next are whether the provisions will be adjusted during the public consultation period and the final wording published before and around the formal implementation in November 2026.