UL Receives First Accreditation in India for Testing Grid Code Compliance as per Central Electricity Authority Standards

UL, a global safety science company, announced today that it has received accreditation from Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS) that enables it to test renewable energy power plants per Central Electricity Authority (CEA) of India grid codes. The recognition complements an existing DAkkS accreditation of DEWI Offshore and Certification Centre GmbH (DEWI-OCC), an independent certification body within UL, to provide certification for renewable energy power generating units and plants according to CEA grid codes.

The main objective of CEA’s new regulations is to improve grid stability and applies to all renewable energy power generating units and plants including wind, solar, hybrid and energy storage systems.

UL has received DAkkS accreditation for testing compliance to grid codes prevailing in India, Germany, Spain, Italy, Europe and the U.K. In India, mandatory testing is required for the wind turbines, solar inverters and energy storage systems manufactured by domestic and international companies before commissioning in power plants.

Commenting on the accreditation, Chakradhar Byreddy, director for UL's Renewables division in Asia Pacific, said, “We are delighted on becoming the first organization to be accredited by DAkkS for prototype testing according to the CEA grid codes. With this accreditation, we can enable manufacturers in India to achieve compliance and help ensure renewable energy plants safely transmit power to the grid. At UL, we will continue to empower the manufacturers by providing the necessary prototype testing capabilities, customized solutions for grid integration and energy systems and advisory based on our understanding of global grid codes.”

UL will facilitate field-testing for wind turbine manufacturers as per the CEA regulations by using its mobile test laboratories while the solar inverter manufacturers can avail the testing services in the field or at their manufacturing units.

For more information on UL’s testing and certification services for grid code compliance, please visit here.