TUV SUD America Receives ULC/ORD C-1703-01 Accreditation from Standards Council of Canada

PEABODY, Mass., May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- TUV SUD 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 TUV SUD 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), TUV SUD 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 TUV SUD's global presence, reinforce our commitment to bring quality and one-stop-shop testing capabilities in Photovoltaics for our customers.

TUV SUD's PV Manager and Technical Certifier, Mr. Regan Arndt, states: "This recent addition of ULC/ORD C-1703-01 to TUV SUD America's 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, TUV SUD 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, TUV SUD America and RETC established a cooperative agreement to provide Photovoltaic Testing and Certification Services. The RETC-TUV SUD America partnership was established to accelerate TUV SUD's plan to bolster a strong foothold in the global solar energy market. TUV SUD has existing accreditation to IEC 61215, IEC 61646, IEC 61730, IEC 62108, and UL 1741.  Additionally, TUV SUD provides global testing and certification for Photovoltaics (PV) and renewable energy products, including third-party outdoor performance and reliability testing.

TUV SUD 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. TUV SUD 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 TUV SUD America's Photovoltaics Testing, visit http://tuvamerica.com/services/photovoltaics.cfm.

SOURCE TUV SUD America Inc