With the increasing focus on harnessing the potential of solar energy in the country, US-based Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a product testing and certification firm, has decided to set up a state of art solar photovoltaic (PV) plates testing lab in the country. PV plate converts light directly into electricity.
The facility, which would come up in Bangalore, aims at increasing testing capacity for the renewable energy industry and help exports of PV plates, a senior UL official said. ?Currently, due to low domestic production and usage of solar energy, there has not been formulation of any specific safety standards for PV equipment. With setting up of the lab, it would increase testing capacity for the renewable energy industry,? Bill Colavecchio, vice president & general manager, Industrial Products Sector of UL, told FE.
Although India is emerging as one of the biggest manufacturers and exporters of PV plates, standards relating to PV equipment are yet to be formulated. Besides certification, UL is the only national certification body in the US that is qualified to give safety certification for PV products. UL India, which has been in India for the last 10 years, operates testing lab in Bangalore. It is engaged in testing various products for safety.
?We will all probability set up specific testing lab for PV testing in Bangalore, where already have our existing facilities so that we can leverage on the foot prints,? Coavecchio said.
It would take about 1-2 years to set up the labs, which is expected to give boost to India?s exports of PV plates. Indian exports PV plates to countries including USA, Japan and Germany.
?With not testing facilities at home, the exporters have been facing problems relating of safety standards,? Rajnikanth U, business manager, UL India.
The company plans to tie up with growing numbers of solar power equipment companies for ensuring that proper safety standards are adhered to.
?We will support companies engaged in generating solar energy by developing green technologies which would eventually tackle climate change issues,? Coavecchio said. The company has already tied up with leading PV manufacturers like Solar Semiconductor, Energy Systems, Titan Energy systems and Moser Baer photovoltaics. As per the nation action plan on climate change finalised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently, out of the eight missions proposed, the emphasis on solar energy is bound to generate interest amongst the private players.
The solar power sector has been lagging behind even as the wind power segment of the renewable power portfolio got a boost.
The solar sector is expected to generate 1,000 mw of power generation capacity by the end of the 12th Plan Period (2017), mostly through private investment.