VDE has acquired a 70% stake in certification and testing company Renewable Energy Test Center (RETC), strengthening the technical organisation’s position in the renewables sector.
In becoming a group organisation of VDE, RETC, which operates independent testing labs for solar PV and battery energy storage products, will be able to leverage VDE’s existing consortium of laboratories to strengthen its bankability testing, encompassing a wider network of manufacturers.
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VDE meanwhile will tap RETC’s team for contributions towards its umbrella of testing and certification services.
The partnership will also see VDE expand its footprint in renewables, especially in the US market.
“By welcoming our long-term business partner RETC as a member of the VDE Group, we can provide our customers worldwide with a one-stop-shop for testing, inspection, certification, and data services that de-risk renewable energy projects like solar and energy storage installations in utility-scale and below,” Ansgar Hinz, CEO at VDE Group, said.
Cherif Kedir, president and CEO at RETC, said the company’s work had been “instrumental in moving the needle” within the renewables sector, driving improved product reliability, performance and data-driven risk mitigation.
“Collectively with VDE, we can use this data to build better service products and design better programs. Arguably, this work has never been more important or essential,” Kedir said.