Underwriters Laboratories’ time-tested system supports governmental product safety regulations, and helps companies meet the challenge of accessing global markets while bringing safer products to consumers. Building on the company’s product safety heritage, UL has expanded into environmental claims verification and sustainability standards development, as well as verification services supporting supply chain integrity. Wind energy is a key part of this expansion, as Tuomo K. Keinanen, Director, Business Development (Energy), explains.
PES: Welcome to PES magazine, can you start off by introducing your company and the services it provides to the wind industry?
Tuomo K. Keinanen: UL is an independent safety certification organisation that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for more than a century.
UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems from more than 66,000 manufacturers each year. In total, there are more than 20 billion UL Marks appearing on products worldwide every year. UL’s global family of companies and network of service providers includes 68 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 102 countries.
For the wind industry, UL offers product assessment services, preliminary evaluations and GAP analysis, advisory services and field evaluation services including training of the client’s maintenance engineers. These services are available for the entire wind turbine system and its control software, or components of the wind turbine, e.g. assemblies, control equipment and inverters/converters.
PES: Similarly, why should a turbine manufacturer choose to certify its products with you?
TK: When manufacturers work with UL, they can trust that they have over 115 years of expertise backing the certification they are receiving. With our new wind industry service, potential customers can expect that same level of expertise, professionalism and integrity.
This new expanded service will enable manufacturers to apply for a system certification to cover electrical and fire safety for the entire turbine. While comprehensive, our portfolio of services is also flexible, enabling manufacturers to choose the level of evaluation they need based on differences in turbines and their intended location and use.
