TUV Rheinland, a provider of technical, safety and certification services, on Wednesday inaugurated its first photovoltaic laboratory here. The lab, seventh such facility globally, has been established with an investment of euro 2 million (Rs.12.20 crore).
TUV Rheinland CEO Friedrich Hecker said the company certified 70 per cent of photovoltaic modules produced in the world. Claiming to be the market leader in India in developing standards, equipment and testing since the 1980s, Mr. Hecker said India was potentially a large market for photovoltaics for power generation.
The test facility, spread over 2,000 sq. metres, is equipped with five climate chambers and two sun simulators to test photovoltaic modules. “Photovoltiac modules, which are expected to last 20-25 years, have to undergo stringent tests so that they fare well even in extreme weather conditions,” TUV Rheinland Managing Director Enrico Ruhle told The Hindu . Mr. Ruhle said that although the cost of solar power generation remained high, relative to conventional energy sources, solar technologies needed to be subsidised because “it is still a young technology.” “Indigenisation in India will drive down costs in the future,” he added. He pointed out that power generated through photovoltaics in India now costs about Rs.17 per kWh, several times costlier than power produced by conventional means. “For this to change, the new technology has to be scaled up,” he said.
Rolf Seligmann, German Consul-General, Bangalore, said among renewable energy sources solar had the highest potential. “Germany is a leader today in this field because we pushed the technology when others did not see much potential,” he remarked.
Rajesh Kumar, Director, Solar Energy Centre, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, said the new facility filled a big vacuum because there were not many testing facilities in the country.
