This accreditation allows manufacturers of solar collecting products to have their products third-party certified that they conform to European standards. In addition, TÜV Rheinland PTL performs similar services for access to North American markets under the SRCC testing and certification program.
The basis for granting the Solar Keymark is the harmonized European Mark System, which has been developed and established by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) for the Keymark certification for products based on European Standards. TÜV Rheinland PTL has been qualified by DIN CERTCO, the German-based national member body of CEN to test according to the CEN Keymark scheme rules for solar thermal products.
The European harmonized certification scheme for solar collectors and factory-made solar thermal systems was established with the participation of manufacturers, testing laboratories, certification bodies and the European Solar Thermal Industry (ESTIF). It is based on European product standards EN 12975 and EN 12976, which specify uniform quality requirements for the products as well as for testing and certification of solar thermal products in Europe.
The Keymark is the European mark based on the idea tested once, accepted everywhere. By using the Keymark on their products, manufacturers show that the product meets the applicable European standard requirements of and demonstrate a special reliability of the declared product characteristics. A particular benefit of the Keymark is the detailed testing and inspection scheme for a product that can be linked to the requirements of CE marking, reducing overall costs to manufacturers.
In addition to Solar Keymark testing, TÜV Rheinland PTL also performs combined Solar Thermal and PV system testing and certification, which includes inspection, safety tests and quality assurance for the manufacture, fabrication and installation of residential and commercial systems. TÜV Rheinland PTL tests and certifies systems slated for sale in both the European Union and North American markets.
For more information, visit www.tuvptl.com or call TÜV Rheinland at 1-TUV-RHEINLAND (888-743-4652).
