Mumbai, June 30, 2008: Underwriters Laboratories, the Global leader in product safety standards development and certification is exploring opportunities to build a centre of excellence in the area of PhotoVoltaic technology in India. Photovoltaics, or PV for short, is a technology that converts light directly into electricity and is one of the keyRenewable Energy technologies being pursued globally.

The steep rise in the fossil fuel prices coupled with global warming concerns have given the much needed impetus for establishment of large PV farms that supply the generated electricity directly into the grid, very much like the wind farms. Indian PV panel manufacturers are cashing in on this opportunity by setting up fabrication lines and scaling up capacity aggressively. While bulk of the current capacity goes towards exports, it is expected that the local consumption will increase progressively.

Underwriters laboratories has Photovoltaic Technology Centers of Excellence’ in San Jose and Suzhou/China. They offer a full portfolio of pre-certification services, including R&D and training as well as Testing & Certification to global standards. UL believes that the growth in the Indian Market offers excellent potential for the establishment of a CoE in India. Studies are currently under way to assess the market size as well as the emerging trends. PV is an area where there are multiple technologies being experimented which is a factor to be considered while establishing a CoE.

UL is the only National Certification Body (NCB) in the United States that is qualified to recognize and issue CB certificate for PV products under the CB scheme. In addition to providing PV manufacturers the trusted UL certification mark, UL also offers services such as conducting IEC compliance tests for PV products and issuing CB certifications to compliant products. UL plans to partner with the growing community of solar start-ups and existing companies who are bringing new technology, including thin-film PV, concentrated solar power and other cell technologies into mainstream production.

Mr. Bill Colavecchio, vice president, Global Industrial Product Sector, Underwriters Laboratories, said that “UL will not only help catalyze the growth of this vital industrial sector, but most importantly will support innovative companies that are leading the world by developing technologies necessary to fight global climate change”.

“The main parts & components in a PV System such as junction box, inverter, power converter and other products are placed in the outdoor for a long period of time and hence arises the need for stringent safety and performance requirements. UL helps us with the PV Module certification and safety aspects so that products can be sold in North American and other markets” said Mr. Ravi Surapaneni, Vice President, Solar Semiconductor Pvt Ltd.

In the arena of PV product certification, UL is a key player in both setting standards and as a third party certification body. In India UL is already working with leading players in the industry like Solar Semiconductor Pvt. Ltd, Webel – SL Energy Systems Limited, Titan Energy Systems Limited, and Moser Baer PhotoVoltaics Ltd.

Mr. Rao Chodagam, Managing Director, Titan Energy Systems Limited added that “UL offers manufactures the ‘UL + IEC certification services’ at one go, that helps them acquire relevant certifications for both safety and long term performance for the modules, which are mandatory for U.S and EU markets that cuts down certification time and cost significantly.”

UL India Private Limited is one of the world’s largest Conformity Assessment Service Providers backed by more than a century of experience in product testing and inspection; UL has assessed, tested or inspected billions of products, systems and processes. A key part of UL’s mission is to foster quality assurance and improvement, whilst maintaining its reputation for professionalism and integrity. UL India was established as a wholly owned subsidiary in 1998 and is increasingly on its way to becoming the leader in third party product-safety testing and certification in India.

About UL:

Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a 114-year old company headquartered in the US, has done years of extensive research in its facilities to develop safety standards for everyday equipment used in homes, offices, industries, even hospitals and oil rigs. UL Inc., headquartered in Northbrook, Chicago, has over 6000 employees in over 66 labs and offices across the globe. More than 22 billion products carry the UL mark today.

UL India Pvt. Ltd is an affiliate of UL Inc, and has its headquarters at Bangalore. It services more than 1200 customers in India and has an employee base of over 180.

For further details, please contact:

Mariam Joseph/Reby Abraham Divya Narayan

Hanmer & Partners Underwriters Laboratories

M-9892511933/9930390608 Tel: 080- 41384470
Email: mariam {at} hanmerpr(.)com,reby {at} hanmerpr(.)com Email: divya.narayan {at} in.ul(.)com