May 28, 2003 No.0947

Photovoltaic (PV) Module Certified by Germany's TÜV Full-Scale Sales Activities to Start in European Market

Tokyo, May 28, 2003 --- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has obtained product certification for its photovoltaic (PV) module MA100 from Germany's third-party inspection organization, TÜV Rheinland Product Safety GmbH. The module meets the international specifications and electrical safety standards for photovoltaic modules, and has received TÜV certification, considered the most authoritative in Europe. MHI will take this as an opportunity to start full-scale sales in the European market. The MA100 module certified by TÜV is an amorphous type, with a maximum output of 100 W. The module is the world's largest, with dimensions of 1,410 mm (H) x 1,110 mm (W), and it weighs 21 kg. In the certification testing, based on the testing and evaluation standards IEC61646 (*1) (Thin-film terrestrial photovoltaic modules - design qualification and type approval) and IEC61345 (*1) (UV test for photovoltaic modules), the module's environmental durability was tested. In addition, the product passed even stricter tests for insulation performance, based on TÜV's independent electrical safety standard, SAFETY CLASS II Working Equipment (*2) . Inspectors also visited MHIs' Isahaya Plant at the company's Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works to check quality and manufacturing processes. The plant has already acquired ISO9001 certification for quality management, and it has now established a record of high performance in quality and safety inspections. Europe is a large market, on a par with the US and Japan. There is a high level of interest in photovoltaic modules, for environmental and other reasons, and standards for product performance and safety are strict. MHI started to sell photovoltaic modules last October. Now, with the acquisition of the necessary certification to market the products in Europe, the company also intends to expand sales on a large scale in the European market, where growth is expected. (*1) IEC61646, IEC61345 Standards for methods of testing the durability and other properties of amorphous photovoltaic modules established by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). IEC61646 specifies evaluation methods for product safety, including heat and humidity cycle tests and hail impact tests. IEC61345 specifies evaluation methods for UV resistance. (*2) SAFETY CLASS II Working Equipment Safety standards for photovoltaic modules established independently by German third-party organization TÜV. They specify methods of evaluating the electrical safety of products, including tests of withstand voltage and insulation resistance. # # # About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan is one of the world's leading global heavy machinery manufacturers, with fiscal 2002 (ended March 31, 2003) consolidated sales of 2,593 billion yen. MHI's diverse line-up of products and services encompasses shipbuilding, steel structures, power plants, chemical plants, steel plants, environmental equipment, and machinery for industrial and general use, aircraft, and space rocketry and air-conditioning systems. For more information, please visit the web site of MHI. (http://www.mhi.co.jp) Press Contact: Chris Grams:cgrams@golinharris.com, or Goro Nagaoka: gnagaoka@golinharris.com Tel: +81-3-5721-2521, Fax: +81-3-5721-2591 Golin/Harris International (PR for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy