Solar testing company TUV Rheinland expands

Growth across the solar value chain clearly doesn't just mean improving bottlenecks in silicon supply and manufacturing lines.

Today, Germany-based TUV Rheinland Group announced it would expand its solar testing facilities in Cologne, Germany and invest €3.5 million in further development and expansion of new laboratory capacities in Asia.

Some 70 percent of all solar module manufacturers have their products tested for durability and energy efficiency at the TUV Rheinland Group's Cologne laboratory, the company claims.

Professor Dr.-Ing. Bruno O. Braun, President and CEO of the TUV Rheinland Group, announced the plans today at the opening of the company's 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 the USA ... 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.

Local climates have a major influence on the durability and efficiency of solar modules, which are expected to still be fully functional after 20 years.

TUV Rheinland has become the world market leader in photovoltaic safety and durability testing, the company says. A service-life testing process developed in the Cologne laboratory has become the worldwide standard.

During this test, solar 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.

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