The international testing, inspection and certification (TIC) company offers extensive services for wind turbines and onshore and offshore wind farms, photovoltaic farms on roofs and in fields and the establishment of a hydrogen infrastructure. “For energy transition and decarbonisation to succeed, bureaucratic obstacles need to be removed and decision processes accelerated”, says Enrique Martinez de Ubago López, Head of Wind Energy at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH. “However, these measures must not be allowed to compromise the reliability and safety of the individual systems and the infrastructure as a whole.”

Assessments and testing, inspection and certification for informed decisions

TÜV SÜD offers extensive services in the areas of testing, inspection and certification of onshore and offshore wind farms, wind turbine generators (WTGs) and their components, as well as photovoltaics and hydrogen technology. These TÜV SÜD services include support with planning, construction, operation and investment decisions – for example, by supplying risk analyses, occupational health and safety concepts, quality control during construction or installation and periodic tests and inspections. The certificates for wind turbines and offshore wind farms, wind reports, wind potential, site-suitability and structural analyses which are issued by the TIC company’s experts not only lay the foundations for the planning and realisation of new wind farm projects; their assessment and inspection services in wind-turbine life extension also provide a reliable basis for the decision-making around decommissioning, repowering or extending the lifetime of a turbine after the end of its design life.

TÜV SÜD also offers a wide range of services for compliance-focused installation and safe operation of rooftop PV systems, PV farms and Floating PV systems as well as of battery storage systems. The TIC company’s services encompass testing and inspection during planning and installation, examination of design documentation, testing prior to commissioning and periodic testing and inspection, as well as support in the preparation of risk assessments and safety concepts. Furthermore, the experts evaluate the economic plant operation by means of electro-luminescence measurements, thermographic examinations and comprehensive visual inspections using drones.

Providing technical due diligence (TDD), the experts also create a reliable basis for informed decisions by investors. Services for buyers, sellers or investors include technical feasibility studies, assessments of the contractual basis and financing models and in-depth assessments of the technical basis and the conditions and/or readiness level of technical solutions (TRL assessment).

Certification of hydrogen technologies: materials, components and systems

Within the scope of the energy transition, the interrelationship of energy from renewable sources with the production and storage of hydrogen is one of the cornerstones of the emerging hydrogen economy. The intention is to increase the use of green hydrogen in industry, transport and energy supply. TÜV SÜD supports the manufacturers of materials, components and systems as well as the operators of systems and power plants in their transition to a hydrogen economy. For this purpose, the TÜV SÜD experts have developed own standards for testing and certifying the hydrogen-readiness of materials and components and for electrolyser certification.

For hydrogen off takers and applicants, TÜV SÜD offers a guideline for evaluating the H2-readiness of power stations, including certification of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and engineering, procurement and construction companies (EPC). The TÜV SÜD experts provide support with ensuring the regulatory compliance of components, assemblies and plants, the preparation of procurement specifications for components and the establishment of maintenance concepts in the field of hydrogen and many other areas.
 
Hydrogen-safety training

TÜV SÜD also offers special training and seminars on the safe handling of hydrogen. Modular training courses provide important foundation knowledge, from an introduction to hydrogen technology and the safe operation of hydrogen systems to customised advanced-level training programmes.

More information about the individual topics can be found at:

• www.tuvsud.com/wind-power
• www.tuvsud.com/photovoltaics
• www.tuvsud.com/hydrogen