Intertek expands inverter test lab capacity and services

CHICAGO, USA: Intertek has announced the expansion of its Cortland, NY inverter test facility. The laboratory tests a wide variety of small to medium-sized inverters to US, Canadian and International safety and performance requirements.

The expansion increases Intertek’s capacity to test multiple inverters in parallel, and extends the range of products that can be tested in this location to up to 150 KW. Inverters are a critical part of distributed energy generation products, providing the means for making power derived from renewable energy sources compatible with the power grid, as well as providing safety functions for connection-to and disconnection-from the power grid for wind turbines, photovoltaic (PV) systems, fuel cells, and other types of generators.

Because of their complex design and the rigorous test requirements of the standards, inverter testing can be time-consuming, which negatively impacts time to market for manufacturers. Intertek’s expanded capacity reduces queue times in the lab and helps manufacturers of renewable energy solutions get their products to market faster.

“Intertek continues to invest in and expand its leadership position in the Energy market,” said Troy Hewitt, Global Business Leader for Intertek’s Wind Energy services. “Our goal is to provide the industry’s fastest testing and certification turnaround. This gives our clients a time-to-market advantage of weeks and months ahead of their competitors – a truly significant edge in today’s renewable energy marketplace.”

Intertek tests to the UL 1741 standard for “Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use With Distributed Energy Resources”, and the associated Canadian standard, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 107.1, “General Use Power Supplies”. Product certification ensures acceptance by state and local inspectors, and the utilities which control grid interconnection.

Listing is a term defined by the National Electric Code (NEC) and indicates that the product has been found to comply with national safety standards by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). Intertek also tests to international standards for inverters, giving our clients access to global markets for their products.

In addition to accreditations covering global certification, Intertek is an OSHA-approved NRTL in the United States and a Canadian Testing Organization (TO) and Certification Organization (CO) accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).

These accreditations authorize Intertek to evaluate and certify (List) products to a wide variety of national and international product safety standards. Products proven to comply with North American standards are eligible to bear a label with the ETL Listed Mark, the fastest-growing safety certification mark in North America.