US Underwriters Laboratories opens testing facility in Japan

(ADPnews) - Sep 13, 2010 - US safety testing and certification services provider Underwriters Laboratories (UL) said on Monday it had opened a testing and certification facility for photovoltaic (PV) equipment in Japan.

The move is part of a large-scale investment plan in Asia, North America and Europe, the largest PV markets globally.

The new facility, located in Ise city in central Japan, provides performance and safety testing services for PV equipment, and technical support to Japanese PV equipment makers who intend to expand abroad. It covers an area of 2,000 sq m (21,500 sq ft) and has 14 testing chambers.

As part of its strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the Japanese government has formed a national policy to raise the number of households which use PV power 21 times to 10 million. According to UL, to verify the performance and enhance the safety of PV systems is essential for the growth of the PV technologies popularity, since PV systems are likely to degrade because of their exposure to wind, rain, hail and due to ageing.

In the last few years, UL has established similar testing facilities in the US, China and Germany, and now plans to open one in India.

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