As the US expands its domestic solar PV manufacturing capacity, there will be a growing need for testing, inspection and certification services – and to capture this market space Germany's TUV Rheinland has announced an exclusive partnership agreement with US based PV test and research lab, CFV Labs.
"This partnership with CFV Solar Test Laboratory will allow us to offer a wide range of customized services for our customers in North America, but also cover our customer needs all around the globe in North America," said Global Segment Coordinator for Solar at TÜV Rheinland Dr. Christos Monokroussos.
While the duo will cater to a larger audience with mainstream certifications including IEC 61215, IEC 61730, IEC 61853 and IEC 63209 through this partnership, they plan to also offer customized testing to help companies meet supply chain and bankability needs.
The focus will be on performance, safety and reliability testing services for PV modules, PV components and power plants in the region.
TUV said the agreement with CFV was signed 6 months after the US Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) expanded the scope for TÜV's testing laboratories to include solar related standards as a U.S. NRTL (Nationally Recognized Test Laboratory).
In November 2022, TUV launched an independent global test standard for BIPV solar modules which it said will strengthen the confidence of distributors, manufacturers, and purchasers of this technology (see Certification For Building Integrated Solar PV Modules).