The VDE Institute and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) has just opened a joint testing centre for photovoltaic-module in Freiburg, Germany.  In order to strengthen this cooperation in the international level, on October 2nd 2008, a new joint venture corporation – the VDE-Fraunhofer ISE Pte Ltd. - was launched in Singapore. This joint venture will provide highly sophisticated testing and certification services in the area of performance and safety testing of solar photovoltaic modules in the South East Asia Region. With this new entity, the VDE Institute and the Fraunhofer ISE set up a new important milestone in the further development of the solar industry in Asia Pacific as well as in Singapore. The VDE-Fraunhofer ISE Pte Ltd. can offer the all the necessary measures conforming to IECEE standards to the gradually growing Asian PV clients, aiming to support the industry with consulting and by testing and certifying Asian-made technologies for the world market”.
The new joint venture will work in close collaboration with recently founded Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS).

The Partners

The Fraunhofer ISE is one of the world’s leading institutes in development of solar energy technologies. Fraunhofer ISE has many years of experience in the calibration of solar modules, for 15 years now, now the manufacturers of solar modules around the globe use the high precision measurements of the ISE CalLab. Also in the analysis of the service-life of PV modules the Freiburg researchers have achieved a leading position.

The VDE Institute is a national and international accredited, independent institution which tests and certifies electrical appliances, components and systems with the highest quality standard for the safety of the consumer and the general public.

Both partners intensively work on the advancement of international testing standards and general standards within the frame of the International Electro Technical Commission (Technical Committee 82, Working Group 2: Modules) and the DKE (German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies of DIN and VDE).