Underwriters Laboratories Expands Global Photovoltaic Footprint to China

Northbrook, Illinois (ots/PRNewswire) -

- In Response to Growing Demand, Photovoltaic Testing Leader, UL,
Announces New Facility in Suzhou, China

Underwriters Laboratories, a world leader in product safety
testing and certification, announced today the expansion of its
global photovoltaic testing services to Suzhou, China, where it will
open a Photovoltaic Technology Center of Excellence. The new
facility, set to open on February 26, 2009, will be the largest
photovoltaic testing laboratory in Greater China and have the
capability to test to both UL and International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) Standards. This announcement marks yet another step
in UL's ongoing commitment to the development of safe renewable
energy equipment.

The new 400-square-meter testing facility, the largest in Asia,
will enable UL's customers to get their products to market faster due
to increased testing capacity. This facility, which will initially
house six state-of-the-art test chambers, will continue to expand in
2009, as more capacity is needed. According to industry experts, the
global PV market is expected to grow by 15 percent every year for the
next five years, hitting US$32 billion by 2012.

"Now, more than ever, manufacturers are looking for a trusted
partner in the certification industry to help bring their innovations
to market faster and more efficiently," said Jeff Smidt, General
Manager of UL's Global Energy Business. "With the launch of our new
facility, we will better serve our customers by providing a full
portfolio of testing and certification services in China, as well as
access to the global market."

The Renewable Energy Law passed by the Chinese government in
March 2005 stipulates that 10 percent of China's energy must come
from renewable resources by 2020-a fact that underlines the country's
increased demand for first-rate PV testing services.

"China is the third largest manufacturer of photovoltaic products
in the world and production keeps increasing. It is the industry's
manufacturing base, and that is why UL is growing its PV testing
capacity in this region," said Smidt.

The Photovoltaic Technology Center of Excellence in Suzhou, China
is located in the New Hi-Tech Industrial Park, 98 Hengshan Road,
Suzhou New District. UL's first Center of Excellence, which opened in
July 2008, is located in San Jose, California. UL is currently
expanding that lab as the demand for PV certification services
continues to increase. For more information on these facilities or
UL's PV services go to http://www.ul.com/dge/photovoltaics.

About Underwriters Laboratories

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent product safety
certification organization that has been testing products and writing
Standards for Safety for over a century. UL evaluates more than
19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually
with 20 billion UL Marks appearing on 72,000 manufacturers' products
each year. UL's worldwide family of companies and network of service
providers includes 64 laboratory, testing and certification
facilities serving customers in 98 countries. For more information,
visit: http://www.UL.com/newsroom.

Media Contacts
Elizabeth Sherman
GolinHarris for UL
+1-508-444-6453
esherman@golinharris.com
Yassie Dunn
Underwriters Laboratories
+1-847-664-3056
Yassie.Dunn@us.ul.com

ots Originaltext: Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Elizabeth Sherman of GolinHarris, +1-508-444-6453,
esherman@golinharris.com, for Underwriters Laboratories; or Yassie
Dunn of Underwriters Laboratories, +1-847-664-3056,
Yassie.Dunn@us.ul.com