Camas, Wash.-based Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) — a third-party product safety testing and
certification organization — and Chicago-based Atlas Material Testing Technology LLC — a provider
of weathering instruments and weathering testing services — have entered into a strategic alliance
in order to expand global testing in accelerated aging performance and to shorten testing and
certification turnaround times for solar energy product manufacturers.
Outdoor and aging tests for long-term durability help determine product compliance with
safety and performance standards and give manufacturers the data needed to show long-term
durability for substantiation of warrant and performance claims. According to the companies, the
collaboration already has shortened cycle times for some companies applying for UL certification
for solar modules and power systems accessories equipment.
“We are excited to partner with a well-respected worldwide standards organization and
together we will help to meet the global needs of the solar industry,” said Rick Weiler, CEO, Atlas
Material Testing Technology. “Our combined resources generate the synergies to provide much needed
laboratory and outdoor testing capacity for solar panels and equipment.”
“One of the great benefits that are available through this alliance is the geographical
diversity of existing and new testing sites that allows us to minimize project delays that
otherwise might occur due to natural weather conditions,” said Jeff Smidt, vice president and
general manager, UL’s global energy business. “Atlas has 21 outdoor weathering sites globally
including the Atlas Solar Test Center and exposure facility in Arizona, a benchmark for outdoor
exposure testing possessing high levels of solar radiation and elevated temperatures.”
March 23, 2010
