MADURAI
Madurai Kamaraj University will soon begin testing commercial solar panels and certifying them.
The university already hosts a Regional Test Centre (Solar Thermal), which was established in 1992 by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. It is the only test centre in South India, which certifies products like solar heaters and dryers.
According to the university’s website, the centre provides test and referral facilities to manufacturers, State nodal agencies and research and development organisations for testing solar thermal systems. It also acts as a testing centre for the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for solar collectors and solar cookers.
Speaking to The Hindu , Vice-Chancellor M. Krishnan said that he aimed at setting up an innovation centre which encompassed not only solar thermal testing but also a photovoltaic testing lab to confirm that new products met consumer demands with regard to safety and performance.
“Fourteen manufacturers have approached us this year but the idea is to expand and ensure that solar panel testing takes place too. The area itself will be the university’s innovation centre,” he said.
Elaborating on the project, Head of the Department of Solar Energy C. Gopinathan said that the new lab would evaluate direct conversion of sunlight into electricity and provide a quality certification. The lab would be established at a cost of ₹7 crore. The project had been sanctioned by the Tamil Nadu government, he said, adding it would be of great use for manufacturers.
