TÜV SÜD America and Renewable Energy Test Center (RETC, LLC) Partner to Provide Photovoltaics Testing and Certification Services

PEABODY, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
TÜV SÜD America Inc. has announceda cooperation agreement with Renewable Energy
Test Center (RETC LLC), an engineering services and test provider based in
Fremont, California. Through this cooperation, RETC will provide TÜV SÜD a
global partner for testing and certification for photovoltaics (PV) and
renewable energy products, including third-party outdoor performance and
reliability testing.

RETC will complement TÜV SÜD`s strategy to deliver one-stop shop capabilities
for the growth of PV testing and certification services. The RETC-TÜV SÜD
America partnership will help accelerate TÜV SÜD`s plan to establish a strong
foothold in the global solar energy market by obtaining accreditation to UL 1703
in addition to TÜV SÜD`s existing accreditation to IEC 61215, IEC 61646, IEC
61730, and UL 1741. RETC, located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, will
leverage its semiconductor-experienced engineers and process knowledge, Silicon
Valley`s infrastructure, and the solar energy market growth in the U.S. to
provide a unique advantage. Furthermore, the passing of the Federal stimulus
package indicates that the demand for PV services in the U.S. will continue to
increase significantly over the next several years.

"With the lengthy turn-around times of PV testing and certification both in the
U.S. and globally, the RETC management team believes that this is constraining
the advancement of solar energy technologies," stated Alelie Funcell, President
and CEO of RETC. "This PV testing bottleneck offers a strategic market entry
opportunity for RETC to ramp up its planned testing capabilities starting in
North America. Partnering with TÜV SÜD, who is recognized for its global
presence and expertise in testing, inspection, and certification services, will
propel RETC into achieving the required accreditations and certifications. TÜV
SÜD`s brand name and prestige will provide RETC with solid market acceptance,"
added Ms. Funcell.

"The collaboration with RETC reinforces our commitment to increase safety and
value for our customers. More importantly, it combines RETC`s rigorous,
high-quality, process-driven semiconductor thinking, resulting in a mature,
experienced partner to help navigate through the very new, complex, and rapidly
growing PV market," concluded Mr. Karsten Xander, TÜV SÜD America`s President
and CEO.

For more information on TÜV SÜD America`s Photovoltaics Testing,
visithttp://tuvamerica.com/services/photovoltaics.cfm.

TÜV SÜD America Inc., a subsidiary of TÜV SÜD AG, is a B2B engineering services
firm providing international safety testing and certification services. We have
over 600 experts in more than a dozen locations throughout the NAFTA region. TÜV
SÜD America has partnered with thousands of companies, assuring product and
management systems excellence, and acceptance in the global marketplace.

For more information, contact:
TÜV SÜD America Inc.
Regan Arndt, 858-678-1416
Program Manager
rarndt@tuvam.com
or
For editorial information, contact:
TÜV SÜD America Inc.
Carmen A. Hopwood, 978-573-2577
Marketing Manager
chopwood@tuvam.com
or
For RETC information, contact:
RETC, LLC
Alelie Funcell, 408-859-7616
President and CEO
alelief@retc-ca.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009