PV Lab For South Asia
TÜV Rheinland, a global provider of technical, safety and certification services is eyeing a larger share of the Indian market for PV testing and certification. To this end the company has set up India's first and South Asia's largest PV laboratory at Electronic city in Bangalore which has been formally inaugurated. Seventh in TÜV Rhineland's global network of solar testing labs spread across Germany, China, Taiwan, Japan and the US, the new state-of-the-art laboratory addresses a key challenge faced by the Indian solar/PV industry - lack of access to large scale, world class test facility. The new PV Lab and test centre is spread over 20,000 sq. feet including an outside test field of 5,000 square feet, 5 climate chambers and 2 sun simulators. Investment in the new lab/test centre is close to US$3million. According to a third party research firm, 70% of all solar module manufacturers worldwide have their products tested at TÜV Rheinland laboratory making it the undisputed world leader in independent safety and quality testing for solar modules.
Speaking to media after the inaugural event, Friedrich Hecker, CEO, TÜV Rheinland AG, said, "With the ambitious Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission being operationalized, India is poised to take a huge leap in solar/PV. Module manufacturing, a key component of the chain, is largely domestically manufactured and offers a great export potential as well. The setting up of the PV lab by us today in Bangalore not only addresses the lack of such a facility in India but actually enables Indian module manufacturers to eye markets beyond India. India has always been a key strategic market for the group and all our different business units and this marks another step forward in that commitment."
In his comments to the media, Andreas Höfer Chief Regional Officer, TÜV Rheinland (India, Middle East and Africa), said," One of the key components of a healthy solar/PC industry is domestic consumption. With abundant sunshine and high quality of radiation levels combined with focus on both grid and off grid applications, there is every possibility that India will be the market to watch out for in the region. We see a lot of overseas players investing here and setting up facilities or licensing technology for local players to manufacture with. In that way, both our entry and the setting up of this lab is timed well."
Added, Enrico Rühle, Managing Director, TÜV Rheinland India," The Indian PV lab will be tightly interlinked to the other six laboratories across the world and will employ over 200 experts across functions. The lab which has facilities unheard of in the region like climate chambers and sun simulators will reduce the time for testing for Indian manufacturers. The new facility is capable of meeting all the testing and certification requirements of the local industry. Reliability is also a big issue with regard to the modules which need to bear the environment for 25 years and perform accordingly. All the reliability, accelerated life and long term tests can be done at our new lab."
TÜV Rheinland first started laboratory scale technical testing of solar components in 1995. The specialists at TÜV Rheinland are involved in testing modules and components, developing new test methods, collaborating on R&D projects for the use of solar energy and assisting customers worldwide with the construction of solar power plants. All laboratories have been launched or upgraded in the last two years and comply with the latest technical standards.
