081002 - BSW Asia Satellite Event - Launch of VDE Fraunhofer ISE Pte Ltd

MEDIA RELEASE


2 October 2008


FIRST SOUTH EAST ASIAN HUB FOR SOLAR PV TESTING AND CERTIFICATION OPENS IN SINGAPORE

Singapore October 2nd, the VDE Institute and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) launched today a new joint corporation in Singapore the VDE-Fraunhofer ISE Pte Ltd. The joint venture will provide highly sophisticated testing and certification services in the area of performance and safety of solar photovoltaic modules.

With this new entity, the first solar PV testing and certification center in South East Asia conforming to IECEE standards, the VDE Institute and the Fraunhofer ISE set a new important milestone in the further development of the solar industry in Asia Pacific as well as in Singapore. Furthermore, the newly formed institution is an important cornerstone for the solar and clean energy hub Singapore is establishing at the moment.

The new venture will work in close collaboration with recently founded Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS). VDE-Fraunhofer ISE Pte Ltd is one of the first important collaborations SERIS has established in its structure. With its new R&D and service facilities in Singapore, SERIS is able to secure highest quality and reliability for the necessary processes in close cooperation with the well experienced partners VDE and Fraunhofer ISE.

One of the main targets of VDE-Fraunhofer ISE is to intensively support and service the photovoltaic industry in the region with all the necessary measures for international market capability of their products. We will make every effort to support the industry with consulting and by testing and certifying Asian-made technologies for the world market, says Mr. Wilfried Jäger, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the VDE Testing and Certification Institute. Singapore is the ideal hub for the regions solar industry, and Asia itself is on the way of becoming the hub of the global economy.

Asia is the place to be as much of the future is taking shape here. So we are here, ready to serve the solar industry throughout the region with our large common pool of expertise and experience, said Dr. Hans-Martin Henning, Department Head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE).

Economic Development Board (EDB) Assistant Managing Director, Mr Manohar Khiatani said, "We are delighted that VDE and Fraunhofer ISE are setting up a testing and certification centre for solar photovoltaic modules in Singapore. This marks another milestone in our quest to be a global Clean Energy hub, adding vibrancy to our ecosystem here. This new venture will serve the needs of solar manufacturers in Asia and position Singapore as a regional hub for solar testing and certification services."

Being closer to the increasing number of manufacturers in this part of the world, VDE-Fraunhofer ISE will be able to act more quickly to the needs of the solar industry. The start of the first certification and testing projects is scheduled for the second half of 2009.


The Partners

The Fraunhofer ISE is one of the worlds leading institutes in development of solar energy technologies. Fraunhofer ISE has many years of experience in the calibration of solar modules, for 15 years now the manufacturers of solar modules around the globe use the high precision measurements of the ISE CalLab. Also in the analysis of the service-life of PV modules the Freiburg researchers have achieved a leading position.

The VDE Institute is a national and international accredited, independent institution which tests and certifies electrical appliances, components and systems with the highest quality standard for the safety of the consumer and the general public.

Both partners intensively work on the advancement of international testing standards and general standards within the frame of the International Electro Technical Commission (Technical Committee 82, Working Group 2: Modules) and the DKE (German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies of DIN and VDE).

SERIS is Singapores National Laboratory for Solar Energy Research. It commenced operations on 1st April 2008 and is located in the Faculty of Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS). SERIS conducts industry-oriented research and technology development and in addition to this, use-inspired basic research in the field of solar energy conversion.
SERIS will test commercial PV modules according to recognized international standards. Particular emphasis will be on the measurement of large modules, in particular thin-film modules.

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