June 19, 2019
Bengaluru, June 19, 2019: UL, a global safety science company, announced the launch of its first mobile PV unit testing laboratory in New Delhi, India. The mobile testing lab capabilities offer solar PV system owners and operators the ability to identify, evaluate and replace underperforming modules directly at the solar plant site, allowing them to minimize downtime while maximizing their energy production. UL is the first independent third-party certified and accredited company to launch a mobile PV testing laboratory in India.
Amitabh Kant, CEO, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), a policy think tank, said, “Renewables is the future and we are emphasizing on solar in a very big way. India is committed to achieve its target of 175 GW in renewable energy. I am proud to note that we are witnessing increase in private sector investments and testing capabilities will further enable such investments in India. This facility, which is mobile and truly world class, provides the best in technical standards and more importantly, confidence to power producers or asset owners to invest. I am hopeful the mobile testing laboratory will be a wonderful success story and hundreds of such facilities will be available across India in the future.”
Commenting on the launch, Dr. Chakradhar Byreddy, director for renewables in Asia Pacific for UL, said, “Underperforming PV modules can bring down the energy output of a whole solar power plant which is a huge risk in terms of internal rate of return, possible damage to the modules and loss in power generation. It was a natural progression for UL to launch the mobile PV unit testing laboratory in the Indian market, especially at a time when the government of India is working towards developing robust quality standards for components and systems.”
The mobile facility combines an A + A + A solar simulator with a high-resolution electroluminescence test system according to IEC 60904-9. It enables standard-compliant and precise on-site testing at maximum throughput. In one shift, a detailed check can be performed for up to 300 modules. The unit can conduct tests on insulation, performance with low irradiance, performance at normal operating cell temperature (NOCT) and temperature coefficient.
In addition, this facility helps detect under performance as well as hidden defects such as micro cracks, inactive areas or hotspots in the module quickly and reliably. UL, with its decades of experience in solar testing, has developed an innovative process through which the test results of the mobile facility are close to laboratory testing outputs. This will allow developers and manufacturers to address quality gaps and ensure the right product reaches the market.
About UL
UL fosters safe living and working conditions for people everywhere through the application of science to solve safety, security and sustainability challenges. The UL Mark engenders trust enabling the safe adoption of innovative new products and technologies. Everyone at UL shares a passion to make the world a safer place. We test, inspect, audit, certify, validate, verify, advise and train and we support these efforts with software solutions for safety and sustainability. To learn more, please visit UL.com.