Underwriters Lab explores opportunities to build PV lab in India

Tag : pv panel

The steep rise in the fossil fuel prices coupled with globalwarming concerns have given the much needed impetus forestablishment of large PV farms that supply the generatedelectricity directly into the grid, very much like the wind farms.

Underwriters Laboratories, the Global leader in product safetystandards development and certification is exploring opportunitiesto build a centre of excellence in the area of PhotoVoltaictechnology in India. Photovoltaics, or PV for short, is atechnology that converts light directly into electricity and is oneof the keyRenewable Energy technologies being pursued globally.

The steep rise in the fossil fuel prices coupled with globalwarming concerns have given the much needed impetus forestablishment of large PV farms that supply the generatedelectricity directly into the grid, very much like the wind farms.Indian PV panel manufacturers are cashing in on this opportunity bysetting up fabrication lines and scaling up capacity aggressively.While bulk of the current capacity goes towards exports, it isexpected that the local consumption will increase progressively.

Underwriters laboratories has Photovoltaic Technology Centers ofExcellence' in San Jose and Suzhou/China. They offer a fullportfolio of pre-certification services, including R&D andtraining as well as Testing & Certification to globalstandards. UL believes that the growth in the Indian Market offersexcellent potential for the establishment of a CoE in India.Studies are currently under way to assess the market size as wellas the emerging trends. PV is an area where there are multipletechnologies being experimented which is a factor to be consideredwhile establishing a CoE.

UL is the only National Certification Body (NCB) in the UnitedStates that is qualified to recognize and issue CB certificate forPV products under the CB scheme. In addition to providing PVmanufacturers the trusted UL certification mark, UL also offersservices such as conducting IEC compliance tests for PV productsand issuing CB certifications to compliant products. UL plans topartner with the growing community of solar start-ups and existingcompanies who are bringing new technology, including thin-film PV,concentrated solar power and other cell technologies intomainstream production.

Bill Colavecchio, vice president, Global Industrial Product Sector,Underwriters Laboratories, said that "UL will not only helpcatalyze the growth of this vital industrial sector, but mostimportantly will support innovative companies that are leading theworld by developing technologies necessary to fight global climatechange".

"The main parts & components in a PV System such as junctionbox, inverter, power converter and other products are placed in theoutdoor for a long period of time and hence arises the need forstringent safety and performance requirements. UL helps us with thePV Module certification and safety aspects so that products can besold in North American and other markets" said Mr. Ravi Surapaneni,Vice President, Solar Semiconductor Pvt Ltd.

In the arena of PV product certification, UL is a key player inboth setting standards and as a third party certification body. InIndia UL is already working with leading players in the industrylike Solar Semiconductor Pvt. Ltd, Webel ? SL Energy SystemsLimited, Titan Energy Systems Limited, and Moser Baer PhotoVoltaicsLtd.
Rao Chodagam, Managing Director, Titan Energy Systems Limited addedthat "UL offers manufactures the 'UL + IEC certification services'at one go, that helps them acquire relevant certifications for bothsafety and long term performance for the modules, which aremandatory for U.S and EU markets that cuts down certification timeand cost significantly."

UL India Private Limited is one of the world's largest ConformityAssessment Service Providers backed by more than a century ofexperience in product testing and inspection; UL has assessed,tested or inspected billions of products, systems and processes. Akey part of UL's mission is to foster quality assurance andimprovement, whilst maintaining its reputation for professionalismand integrity. UL India was established as a wholly ownedsubsidiary in 1998 and is increasingly on its way to becoming theleader in third party product-safety testing and certification inIndia. Over 2,00,000 Jobs!Register FREE @ naukri.com