The solar industry has evolved dramatically over the last ten years, and with it also the need for more accurate performance data of PV modules. Investors, designers and planners all look to performance indicators when choosing modules, e.g. for projecting the yield of a proposed PV system. As stipulated by standards EN50380 and IEC 61853-1, certain key performance data are required to be displayed on a module’s nameplate and, in full detail, on its datasheet. In an effort to better meet investor demand and help raise the quality profile of PV products, UL has now adopted a new standard proposal, Subject 4730  Nameplate, Datasheet, and Sampling Requirements of Photovoltaic Modules.

Subject 4730 focuses specifically on testing against a range of known temperatures (STC, NOCT, HTC, LTC) and irradiance levels and, if adopted as a required standard, stipulates exactly which of the resulting performance data would need to be displayed on the nameplate and included in the module’s data sheet: open circuit voltage V_oc, short circuit current I_sc and P_max. Modifications to existing standards include tightening the tolerance leniency of performance data from max. -10% to max. -3%. Additionally, required information will enable developers to choose a PV module that best aligns with the regional operating environment.

Another important stipulation of Subject 4730 is the statistical sampling method, which defines sampling requirements for the power rating measurements. This method more accurately reflects a module’s actual performance with greater value to all stakeholders, e.g. enhancing a manufacturer’s quality program. To show the confidence level of the data, the sampling number is part of the required information on the datasheet.

The STP for Flat-Plate Photovoltaic Modules and Panels is expected to make a decision on the adoption of UL 4730 in the course of 2013.

Scott Jezwinski, Business Development Manager, UL Energy & Fueling Systems

For further information on PV module performance rating by UL, please contact Scott Jezwinski

To read the scope of the proposed standard UL 4730, click here

The significant difference in the quality of PV modules is not always evident when they are purchased, and many plant operators and investors are keen to assess the reasons for underperformance. Owners Engineer Service and Lenders Engineer Service are two means offered by UL India to perform on-site due diligence.

Recently a full-scale inspection of a 15MW crystalline solar power plant was completed. The goal was to identify defects in the PV modules which may have been caused during manufacturing, installation, commissioning or operations and maintenance of the power plant. The inspection was performed using infrared imaging to easily localize hot spots for closer assessment.

The infrared images were taken when the solar radiance level was above
500 W/m2. The following defects were identified: mismatch of cells, improper soldering, improper crimping (tightening of the termination cable in the terminal box), growth of greenery causing shadows on the solar cells, shadow caused by a street light lamp post.

The total inspection time was 3 days. Many of the issues were able to be corrected shortly afterwards, immediately improving the performance of the plant. Based on the UL report, the plant owner was also able to make warranty claims to the module manufacturer and the plant’s installation and maintenance providers. The location was Charanka Solar Park in the Patan District, Gujarat, operated by Palace Solar Energy Pvt Ltd. (Aditya Birla Group).

Hitesh Jain, Business Manager for India, Middle East & Africa, UL Energy & Fueling Systems

For further information on this inspection or to request a similar inspection or learn more about Owners Engineer and Lenders Engineer Services in India, the Middle East or Africa, please contact Hitesh Jain 

New technologies offering greater performance and reduced energy consumption have led manufacturers in the elevator industry to begin to use such innovations as microelectronic devices and coated-steel belts in elevators, as well as to explore new areas of application, such as hoists in wind tower lifts, and even previously inconceivable devices such as robotics and industrial laser scanners in car elevators. Unfortunately, many of these technologies are not covered by existing elevator safety codes.

For assistance, manufacturers and regulatory authorities may turn to UL, which, as an Accredited Elevator & Escalator Certification Organization (AECO), has been certifying innovative components and systems as well as unique applications for the last 4 years. AECO accreditation means that UL can certify to the performance-based safety code A17.7 (ASME A17.7/CSA B44.7), which was specifically designed to encourage new technology, and allows processes and products to be evaluated through rigorous “equivalent safety” criteria. This lowers approval costs for manufacturers, who were previously forced to seek numerous variances under A17.1. UL offers manufacturers one-stop AECO assessment and certification to A17.7, as well as a suite of critical lifecycle services – all backed by comprehensive in-house technological expertise.

Meanwhile, for regulatory authorities, A17.7 provides a harmonized process to assess new and emerging technologies and enforce their safety requirement compliance. UL provides confidence that an independent organization has conducted a thorough review, and technical support services on how to test, maintain and approve new technologies, including follow-up verification.

Kevin Connelly, Business Development Manager, UL Energy and Industrial Systems

Find more information on the UL AECO Certification program here

If you have any questions or would like to apply for certification, please contact Kevin Connelly

Independent of industry or application, overall product safety can only be determined after carefully evaluating a product's total system, including all interactions with its environment. As more and more products rely on high-tech components to keep them running smoothly, their ability to perform safely has become dependent on the operation of similarly sophisticated safety-control systems.

In order to improve manufacturers’ confidence in the safety of their products and production processes, UL offers the Functional Safety Recognized Component Mark as a service to safety-related value chains in different industries, also comprehending complex systems, subsystems or elements such as integrated circuits and software. Examples of these might be microcontrollers implementing redundancy or diagnostics, IPs with diagnostic functions for FPGA implementation, RTOS with HW diagnostic functions, software libraries for fault detection and mitigation, or safety-related communication protocol drivers. In addition, UL evaluates and certifies tools and workflows for the integration of these products to tool qualification and systematic failure avoidance requirements.

UL certifies complex electronics and software to key international standards, including IEC 61508 (control systems in automation, process industry, and power distribution), IEC 60730-1:Annex H (control systems for residential, commercial and certain industrial applications, such as HVAC), ISO 26262 (electrical and electronic control systems in passenger cars), and UL 1998, a standard dedicated to the microelectronics and software of safety-related control systems.

Kai Christiani, Business Development Manager, UL Industrial and Automation Systems

For more information on UL’s Recognized Component Service for Functional Safety, please contact Kai Christiani

The electricity meter has long been a symbolic boundary between utility companies and consumers. Traditionally, UL has concentrated its focus “downstream” of this line, ensuring consumer confidence in the safety and performance of their household appliances. But new technologies and the development of the smart grid have been bypassing such divisions – particularly in areas of common concern like cyber-security, interoperability, fire and shock risks – and the lines of demarcation between utilities and consumers have begun to blur.

As advances in communication and social networking have led to ever more knowledgeable and empowered consumers, utilities and smart device manufacturers today know that consumer support is critical to the successful adoption of smart technology. Only through the application of science-based analysis can safety risks be sufficiently mitigated to reassure consumers that smart grid technologies are safe.

Due to a spate of recent fires, concern over smart meter safety has been a particular point of public scrutiny. UL is now working directly with the utilities industry and other smart grid stakeholders to identify the root cause of smart meter fires, establish guidelines for safety improvements and develop a safety assessment test plan.

For more than a decade, UL has been at the forefront of developing electrical meter standards (e.g. ANSI C12, UL 2735) and testing to these and many other related standards around the world (e.g. EN, NMI, IEC). UL also designs customized test programs that can include everything from cover insulation, electrical, optical, accuracy, safety mechanical, anti-tampering and IP testing, to EMC and environmental testing.

Chris Banakis, Senior Advisor, UL Energy & Industrial Systems

If you are interested in collaborating with UL on smart meter standard development and test design, or would like further information on accelerating the adoption of smart meters through safety, please contact Chris Banakis

As energy meter technology continues to develop, so too does the demand for meter testing and verification. For instance, in Australia, the National Measurement Institute (NMI) recently amended the National Trade Measurement Regulations governing electricity meters that measure less than 750 MWh per annum. From 1 January 2013, pattern approval (type testing) of these meters to NMI M6-1 is now mandatory. UL International in Christchurch, New Zealand, has been NMI-appointed as the sole laboratory to perform these tests.

Part of the motivation behind the new mandate is that evidence in Australia showed inaccuracies of up to 14% in untested meters. Inaccurate electricity meters lead to unfair and inequitable charges for the supply of electricity, either over-charging or under-charging a customer. The potential impact on consumers only increases with the rising price of electricity. In Australia, the NMI M6-1 standard is similar to, but in some areas also more stringent than IEC 62052-11 and IEC 62053-21 or IEC 62053-22. For instance, due to the frequency of lightning storms, the impulse test requirements are more stringent.

Type testing (or pattern approval) is the process of assessing a model or design of an electricity meter to ensure its accurate performance when subjected to various operating conditions and disturbances (e.g. variations in temperature or voltage, electrical or electromagnetic interference, etc.). Testing also assesses the markings and display of measurement values such as rated voltage and accuracy class.

Worldwide, UL has recently expanded the meter-testing capabilities of its labs to offer global performance and safety accreditation to all relevant IEC and ANSI based standards.

Mike Chan, Global Meter Business Development Manager, UL Verification Services

For information on global meter testing and verification possibilities, please contact Mike Chan