The Photovoltaic Laboratory (PV LAB) of Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH in Switzerland has conducted inverter tests for grid-connected photovoltaic installations since 1989. In order to strengthen its competences in the execution of inverter tests based on international standards, the PV LAB at BFH currently seeks formal acknowledgement by means of accreditation from the Swiss State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO). In the frame of this accreditation process, the PV LAB at BFH develops an electronic Quality Manual to be uploaded on the website (www.pvtest.ch). The Manual and associated documents are completed, integrated into the BFH internal quality software ”QM-Pilot“ and now tested. A progress review meeting with the Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS) in February 2015 identified the needs and way forward. A first audit of the PV LAB by SAS has been scheduled in December 2016. The result of this audit was a list of 14 points for post processing, but just three of them have the status of substantial non-conformity. These open points have been worked out and the accreditation finally has been approved by the SAS on the 19th of September 2017. The accreditation as: “Testing laboratory for mains-borne EMC conducted emissions and harmonics currents as well as efficiency measurements of grid connected photovoltaic inverters” is valid from the 20th September 2017 up to the 19th September 2022.
