Q: How is TÜV Rheinland making its mark in Mexico’s renewable energy market?

WV: TÜV Rheinland has a deeply rooted footprint in the PV sector around the world, coupled with its involvement in the field of wind energy. We are No. 1 when it comes to PV modules, inverters and components testing and certification. TÜV Rheinland is also deeply engaged in PV power plant assessments, qualifications, inspections and certification services. We know the weaknesses of the products and the production processes, which we can transfer into quality assurance for PV parks, fostering investor confidence. Mexico’s PV market is characterized by pressure to produce costefficiency, impacting both PV components and PV systems. It entails a latent risk of relying on low-quality components. We want to cement a sustainable clean energy production in Mexico, enhancing quality assurance and risk mitigation for renewable energy project investors.

NS: Based on our market analysis prior to establishing a business line in a new market, our assessment of Mexico’s Energy Reform detected PV projects as the technology that required the most support for its long-term success, be it distributed generation or utility scale. TÜV Rheinland has 35 years of experience in PV module certification services and 27 years of experience in evaluation, inspection and testing services for PV plants. We can assess quality levels throughout any project development phase, across all involved stakeholders and ensure their inherent interests are preserved.
Q: What is your assessment of Mexico’s PV value chain?

WV: Looking at the global market and the development of Mexico’s PV market in particular, there is a sizable opportunity for Mexican employment based on the industry’s local content provisions across the value chain, such as planning, installations, rack mounting and cabling. Module production can follow and we have seen a pool of startups looking into this sector, which can be bolstered upward toward highquality production lines. Concerning the inflow of foreign companies looking to set up shop in Mexico, the country enjoys a favorable position, both from a governmental and private initiative standpoint. They can look at the lessons learned from past experiences of other countries. Based 
on that track record, Mexico’s regulators can craft adapted frameworks for market access on one end and position themselves under Mexico’s specific conditions on the other.

Q: Which services are driving TÜV Rheinland’s growth in Mexico?

NS: Mexico’s PV market includes more than 10 PV manufacturing companies. For those among them looking to provide Tier 1 products and quality manufacturing processes, TÜV Rheinland can provide certifications 61215, 61730 and UL1703 for optimal quality, performance and security. Our testing platform is also in high demand. We send product samples to our Arizona laboratory for six to seven weeks of 300 quality tests, after which we submit a trial report. The next step involves corroborating a PV factory’s production line, where we perform periodic factory visits and release factory verdicts.
Q: What is TÜV Rheinland’s long-term vision in Mexico?

WV: We want to replicate our top-ranked third-party services in Mexico, supporting our clients in ensuring the safety and reliability of their renewable energy production and securing investment flows in PV projects. Our local team in Mexico is growing. We are looking to strengthen it to support Mexico’s energy industry and guarantee investment safety with the support of our international colleagues. We want to implement high-quality and highly-sustainable products and systems in Mexico’s PV market, as well as supporting knowledge-transfer activities for PV installers.

NS: Our expertise in IEC, ISO and other international standards, coupled with our local market knowledge in both technical and regulatory perspectives places us in an ideal position to provide market-entry services to our clients. They can count on a specialized third-party to cover all the specificities of Mexico’s renewable energy industry.