UL, a leading global safety science company, has announced the launch of testing services for solar photovoltaic (PV) inverter manufacturers in India. UL has expanded its facility in Bengaluru to help manufacturers comply with requirements of the standards mandated by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Manufacturers of solar PV inverters or converters are required to have their products tested from a Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) recognised laboratory as per MNRE’s quality control order, Solar Photovoltaics Systems, Devices and Component Goods Order 2017. Manufacturers who complete the tests as per Indian Standards (IS) are eligible to apply for approval and issuance of registration number from BIS.
The new testing services are now available for residential, commercial and industrial application projects at UL’s Bengaluru facility. The laboratory is accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and is recognised by the BIS under the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) to conduct testing of solar PV inverters based on testing of representative models from a series or family.
The solar PV inverter manufacturers can benefit from affordable third-party BIS recognised local laboratory for inverter safety and quality. The issuance of the test report and subsequent approval from BIS will help ensure that the solar PV inverter model complies with IS 16221 Part 1 and Part 2 and IS 16169 standards. The UL laboratory can test inverters with a rating of up to 50 kilowatts (kW) with two independent test setups – one for low power ratings of up to 10 kW and the other for ratings of up to 50 kW, which reduces the turnaround time for manufacturers.
UL can test for NABL Accredited CAB Combined ILAC MRA Mark Test reports for International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62109-1 and -2, IEC 62116, IEC 61727 and IEC 61683/IS 61683 standards. Compliance with Indian and international standards will help Indian manufacturers compete locally and globally and thus gain market access in several potential markets including European and Asian countries.
“UL’s solar inverter testing facility will help players in India’s growing solar market to demonstrate compliance to Indian and global standards for safety, quality and performance,” said Dr. Chakradhar Byreddy, Director for Renewables in Asia Pacific for UL.
“At UL, we strongly endorse ‘In India, for India’ strategy and are delighted to become a BIS recognized laboratory. With this recognition, UL will help PV inverter manufacturers meet the required compliance regulations to seamlessly access India and global markets, enabling them to ultimately achieve ongoing marketplace success,” said Mr. Suresh Sugavanam, UL’s Vice President and Managing Director in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.