Peabody, MA. TÜV SÜD America is pleased to announce that it has received ULC/ORD C-1703-01 Accreditation from Standards Council of Canada (SCC) through its partnership with RETC, LLC. The granting of this accreditation is based on the technical competence of TÜV SÜD America engineers and on-site assessment of the facility, and continued compliance with all accreditation requirements including the SCC Accreditation Agreement.

Renewable Energy Test Center (RETC, LLC), TÜV SÜD America's partner for Photovoltaics Testing received  ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). The scope of the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation applies to all IEC and UL Test Standards required for PV certification, and includes:

·         IEC 61215 for c-Si Flat-Plate Panels

·         IEC 61646 for Thin Film Flat-Plate Panels

·         IEC 62108 for Concentrator PV

·         IEC 61730 Standard for Safety for Flat-Plate Panels (Europe)

·         IEC 60904 Standard for Cell Testing and Characterization

·         UL 1703 Standard for Safety for Flat-Plate Panels (USA)

·         ULC/ORD C-1703-01 Standard for Safety for Flat-Plate Panels (Canada)

Our highly experienced PV engineers provide product characterization at cell and module levels, and combined with TÜV SÜD's global presence, reinforce our commitment to bring quality and one-stop-shop testing capabilities in Photovoltaics for our customers.

TÜV SÜD's PV Manager and Technical Certifier, Mr. Regan Arndt, states: "This recent addition of ULC/ORD C-1703-01 to TÜV SÜD Americas existing scope of accreditation brings us to another level of service offerings for our new and existing customers wishing to gain access to the Canadian PV market."

"The ULC/ORD C-1703-01 Accreditation demonstrates the two organizations' commitment to further the advancements of solar energy technologies," added Mr. Karsten Xander, President and CEO, TÜV SÜD America. "We are pleased with the continued growth of our services, which allows us to better assist our clients' Photovoltaic testing needs," concluded Mr. Xander. 

In mid-2009, TÜV SÜD America and RETC established a cooperative agreement to provide Photovoltaic Testing and Certification Services. The RETC-TÜV SÜD America partnership was established to accelerate TÜV SÜD's plan to bolster a strong foothold in the global solar energy market. TÜV SÜD has existing accreditation to IEC 61215, IEC 61646, IEC 61730, IEC 62108, and UL 1741.  Additionally, TÜV SÜD provides global testing and certification for Photovoltaics (PV) and renewable energy products, including third-party outdoor performance and reliability testing.

TÜV SÜD is recognized by Authorities Having Jurisdiction, accepted by major retailers, accredited by the SCC in Canada, is an OSHA Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), and is a Notified Body in the EU.  TÜV SÜD Canada offers a wide variety of testing and certification services in our Toronto facilities, and supports various industries, including Automotive, E-mobility, Machinery, Electronics, Medical/Health, Consumer Products, Information Technology, Pressure Equipment, and more.

For more information on TÜV SÜD America's Photovoltaics Testing, visit http://tuvamerica.com/services/photovoltaics.cfm.

Media Relations:

About TÜV SÜD Canada Inc.

TÜV SÜD Canada offers a full suite of management system services, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO/TS 16949, AS9100, ISO 13485, ESD S20.20, OHSAS 18001, Food Services, and ISO/IEC 27001 auditing services. TÜV SÜD Canada provides technical services in the following market segments: Industry, Products, and Transportation. Its service portfolio includes consultancy, verification, tests, expert opinions, certification, and training, addressing the issues of technical reliability, safety, quality, environmental protection, training, and effectiveness. For more information, please visit www.tuvcanada.ca.

About TÜV SÜD America Inc.

TÜV SÜD America, a subsidiary of TÜV SÜD AG, Munich, Germany, is a leading globally recognized testing and certification organization that provides electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), environmental testing and product safety services, CE Marking assistance, NRTL and SCC certification, and performs European Union Notified Body services for a variety of EU directives. Additionally, TÜV SÜD America offers a full suite of globally recognized Management System certification services including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. For more information, please visit www.TUVamerica.com.

About RETC, LLC 

RETC is an engineering services, and independent testing and certification provider for photovoltaic and renewable energy products.  RETC's state-of-the-art PV Test Laboratory is located in Fremont, California. The company consists of a highly experienced leadership and engineering team, with expertise in quality, reliability testing, test equipment design / fabrication, and manufacturing operations.  RETC is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited and has the capacity and scope to certify PV products for North America, Europe, and Asia.  RETC offers the following Standards for PV testing: IEC 61215, IEC 61730, IEC 61646, IEC 62108, IEC 60904, UL 1703, and UL 1741, and other renewable energy product testing that will complement these IEC and UL standards. RETC also offers Outdoor Endurance Testing capabilities to support the growing need for a third-party performance validation and monitoring of PV products, including BOS devices (trackers / tracking system controls and monitoring, inverters), and other renewable product components.  RETC is under TÜV SÜD America's NRTL scope and plans to obtain CBTL status by 4th quarter of 2011, to achieve the ultimate offering in industry quality standards, and the most sought-after certification program for international trade.