VDE to Acquire Majority Stake in RETC, LLC
FREMONT, Calif. and SAN JOSE, Calif. -- June 30, 2021 -- Renewable Energy Test Center LLC (RETC) and VDE US Holdings Inc. (VDE) today announced that VDE has acquired a 70% stake in certification and testing company RETC. The acquisition of RETC, a leading independent test lab for photovoltaic and battery products, will accelerate RETC’s growth and strengthen the VDE Group’s presence in the Renewable Energy sector.
“We are thrilled to join the VDE Group,” said Cherif Kedir, President and CEO of RETC. “Thanks to our new partnership, we can leverage VDE’s global consortium of laboratories to bring RETC’s bankability testing to a broader network of solar and energy storage manufacturers, investors, and project developers. Our work directly impacts stakeholders we frequently service and our results and findings have been instrumental in moving the needle within the industry as we continue advocating for better product reliability, performance, quality, and data-driven risk mitigation. Collectively with VDE, we can use this data to build better service products and design better programs. Arguably, this work has never been more important or essential.”
“While VDE has been active in the solar and energy storage markets for more than fifteen years, our partnership with RETC significantly expands our footprint in renewables, particularly in the U.S.,” said Ansgar Hinz, CEO of VDE Group. “By welcoming our long-term business partner RETC as a member of the VDE Group, we can provide our customers worldwide with a one-stop-shop for testing, inspection, certification, and data services that de-risk renewable energy projects like solar and energy storage installations in utility-scale and below. In addition, RETC’s industry-leading testing capabilities are highly complementary to the OE/IE consulting services provided by our subsidiary, VDE Americas, Inc. ”
As members of the VDE Group, the RETC team will provide important contributions to VDE’s umbrella of testing and certification services by continuing to pave its path as leaders in services like beyond-certification, bankability, energy storage, and hail durability testing. RETC’s testing capability is also set to expand to serve a higher volume of projects and customers.
About RETC
RETC is a leading independent test lab for photovoltaic and battery products. Since 2009, downstream manufacturers, developers, independent engineers, and financiers have trusted RETC to test and vet their modules, inverters, energy storage systems, and racking products. Only the latest testing standards and industry-accepted methods of vetting products are used at RETC. Headquartered in Fremont, CA., RETC is united by the belief in enabling a safer and more sustainable future.
Learn more: https://retc-ca.com/
