TUV Rheinland Strengthens its Market Leadership in Technical Inspection, Opens Expanded Testing Center in Yokohama
Cologne, Germany & Yokohama, Japan, May 25, 2007
Source. PR Newswire
http://sev.prnewswire.com/environmental-services/20070525/3419691en-1.html
Around 70 percent of all solar module manufacturers have their products tested for durability and energy efficiency at the TUV Rheinland Group’s Cologne laboratory. As world market leader in this dynamic growth sector, the global service provider for quality and safety will invest just under 3.5 million euros in the further development and expansion of new laboratory capacities in Asia by the end of 2008. Professor Dr.-Ing. Bruno O. Braun, President and CEO of the TUV Rheinland Group, announced these plans at the opening of the newly expanded Global Technology Assessment Center (GTAC) in Yokohama, Japan.
“The market for photovoltaic technology is currently growing by 20 to 30 percent per year, with especially strong development in Germany, Japan and USA. Growth fields include the production of technological components and the generation of solar power. That is why it makes sense to add further test centers to our extensive facilities in Germany for this innovative technology”, said Professor Braun in Yokohama.
By the end of 2008, a new testing center modeled on the Cologne facilities will also be built in China. Further laboratories are planned in countries such as Taiwan and India.
Global Know-how in Solar Technology
The Group has since 1995 become the world market leader in photovoltaic testing. In solar laboratories, experts assess the modules for safety and durability. For example, a service-life testing process developed in the Cologne laboratory has become the worldwide standard. During this test, the modules are subjected to sunlight, hailstorms and continuous rain. High humidity and temperature fluctuations between minus 40 and plus 85 degrees Celsius are also simulated in special chambers. The local climate has a major influence on the durability and efficiency of the modules, which should still be fully functional after 20 years.
TUV Rheinland is a leading group for the provision of technical services worldwide. It has over 340 locations in 60 countries on all five continents. With a workforce of around 11,000, it achieves turnover of approx. EUR 900 million a year. The guiding principle in the Group is sustainable development of safety and quality standards. The motivating factor for TUV Rheinland employees is the conviction that without technical progress, society and industry cannot grow. For this very reason, using technical innovations, products and equipment in a safe, responsible manner is of decisive importance. TUV Rheinland has been a member of the Global Compact of the UN since 2006. TUV Rheinland is over 130 years old and its headquarters are in Cologne.