NORTHBROOK, Ill., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Underwriters Laboratories (UL),a world leader in Photovoltaic (PV) product testing and certification,announced today the immediate expansion of its Photovoltaic (PV) Technology Center of Excellence; North America's largest PV testing and certification facility in Silicon Valley, just four months after its grand opening.
In response to the increasing demand for solar innovation, testing, and certification, UL will expand its PV testing facility. As the only accredited National Certification Body (NCB) for PV product testing in North America, ULis dedicated to meeting the testing needs of manufacturers. This increase incapacity will allow UL to not only respond to existing industry demands, but also to make sure testing capacity is available for the solar innovation that exists within the PV marketplace."As demonstrated by the influx in industry demand, the need for solar-module testing capacity is critical for the continued growth and success of the industry," said Tom Kimbis, Acting Program Manager for the U.S.Department of Energy's Solar Program. "UL's expanded testing facility is good news for all -- the manufacturing industry, retailers, consumers and the economy overall."
UL's testing facility located in San Jose, Calif. will undergo a 13,500square foot expansion to provide 35 percent more space to UL's current PV testing operations. It will also include a 31 percent year-over-year increase in project capacity since the laboratory's grand opening in July 2008. The expansion will house six more test chambers bringing the total to 20 and include an additional solar simulation room. New jobs will be created as a result from the doubling of required technical positions.
"UL's dedication to the solar industry is apparent in their expansion herein San Jose," said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. "We're pleased to have them as business partners and look forward to their future growth and support of our community of solar manufacturers in Silicon Valley."
UL is dedicated to providing the best possible technical expertise and laboratory operations to the industries served, thereby helping manufacturers meet their product testing needs by providing the necessary technical expertise and accredited laboratory capacity needed.
"The expansion of our current facility is necessary to help drive the innovation and future technological advancements within the solar marketplace and a demonstration of our dedication towards the renewable energy sector,"said Bill Colavecchio, vice president and General Manager of UL's Global Industrial Products Sector.
"Through our partnership with UL, the City of San Jose and now SEMI/PVgroup, we are already far down the path of extending full life-cycle development, certification and deployment best practices through our members and partners. Going forward, given Silicon Valley's history of innovation and close ties to the venture capital community, we will continue to accelerate our transition from Silicon Valley to Solar Valley," said Doug Payne, Director of SolarTech Business Operations.
UL's Photovoltaic Technology Center of Excellence is located at 2191 Zanker Rd. in North San Jose, Calif.
For more information on UL's PV services, visit:http://www.ul.com/dge/photovoltaics/. You can also contact UL's Customer Service representatives at +1 877-UL-HELPS.
About Underwriters Laboratories
Underwriters Laboratories is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for over a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products,components, materials and systems annually with 21 billion UL Marks appearing on 71,000 manufacturers' products each year. UL's worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 66 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 104 countries. UL is also theonly National Certification Body (NCB) for PV in North America and an OSHA-accredited Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).
