RETC Finalizes SolarPTL Acquisition
FREMONT, Calif., March 8, 2024 – Renewable Energy Test Center (RETC LLC), a subsidiary of VDE, has announced the successful acquisition of SolarPTL LLC. By combining capabilities, RETC and SolarPTL will provide clients with the industry’s best in the testing and certification of renewable energy products and systems. This also expands RETC’s national footprint to better reach customers through the United States with locations in California, Nevada, and Arizona and their expanded reach in Europe as a member of the VDE Group.
"For over 130 years, the VDE has stood for the highest quality standards,” said VDE CEO Ansgar Hinz. “As an independent technology organization, we use our experience and our network to promote sustainable energy solutions and accelerate innovation in this field.”
In conversations with clients, RETC has repeatedly heard the need for an integrated solution that allows for a broader range of testing solutions under one roof. With RETC’s acquisition of SolarPTL’s, customers now have access to more streamlined processes, competitive costs, and a consistently high quality of service unlocked by this partnership. For SolarPTL’s customers, the acquisition provides access to trailblazing leadership and applied learnings from RETC’s hail damage risk assessment of solar modules, among other joint research and development towards breakthrough testing methodologies, efficiency enhancements, and safety protocols.
As an independent testing laboratory with the highest level of accreditation, RETC enables data-driven approaches to product and project development, which mitigate sources of risk and uncertainty. The acquisition of SolarPTL, a pioneer in the field of evaluating photovoltaic quality and performance, is a huge step in providing customers with a complete integrated solution for all their testing and certification needs.
“These services benefit solar industry stakeholders and the businesses and communities that require reliable power systems,” said RETC President and CEO Cherif Kedir. “To combine these two powerhouses means we can provide the most robust tools and services while strengthening our positions as trusted partners for manufacturers, installers, and project developers. As a combined entity, we can provide testing solutions and industry insights that contribute to shaping standards, policies, and sustainable practices that move the needle within the industry.”
RETC and SolarPTL will work closely with all SolarPTL’s customers to diligently ensure enhanced services and seamless integration. Maintaining the highest level of support and reliability during this transition will be a priority. Existing customers can expect continued excellence in testing, certification, and customer service during this transition.
About RETC
RETC (Renewable Energy Test Center) is a leading provider of engineering services and certification testing for renewable energy products. Since its founding in 2009, RETC has partnered with manufacturers, developers, and investors to test a wide range of products, including solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, racking, trackers, power electronics, and battery energy storage systems (BESSs). At our accredited laboratories around the world, we evaluate products using only the latest testing standards and industry-accepted methods. Headquartered in Fremont, California, RETC puts customers at the forefront by bringing value to research and development, bankability assessments, and market entry. We are united with our customers in the belief that our work enables a safer and more sustainable world As a member of the VDE Group, the RETC team will make an increasingly important contribution to VDE's testing and certification services. RETC's testing capabilities will also be expanded to serve a larger volume of projects and customers.
More information at www.retc-ca.com
About SolarPTL
SolarPTL follows a long tradition that started with the Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory at Arizona State University (ASU-PTL). in November 2008, ASU entered a joint venture with TUV Rheinland North America to form TUV Rheinland PTL. After 10 years of operations, the TUV Rheinland PTL was acquired in October 2018 by SolarPTL, LLC. SolarPTL has been recognized as a safety certification body and is a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). NRTL is a designation granted by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to laboratories which have been recognized to perform certification to U.S. Safety Standards.
More information at www.solarptl.com
About VDE
VDE, one of the largest technology organizations in Europe, has been regarded as a synonym for innovation and technological progress for more than 130 years. VDE is the only organization in the world that combines science, standardization, testing, certification, and application consulting under one umbrella. The VDE mark has been synonymous with the highest safety standards and consumer protection for more than 100 years. Our passion is the advancement of technology, the next generation of engineers and technologists, and lifelong learning and career development “on the job.” Within the VDE network more than 2,000 employees at over 60 locations worldwide, more than 100,000 honorary experts, and around 1,500 companies are dedicated to ensuring a future worth living: networked, digital, electrical. Shaping the edialistic future. The VDE (VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies) is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main.
For more information, visit www.vde.com
Media Contacts:
Cherif Kedir
media@retc-ca.com
+1 (510) 226-1635
European press:
Vanessa Rothe presse@vde.com
