UL announced on Sept. 25 that its lighting and IoT controls laboratory in Northbrook, Illinois has been named by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as a Certified Body Testing Laboratory (CBTL) for IEC's Lighting and Luminaires (LITE) category.
A leading global organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies, IEC is one of three sister organizations (IEC, ISO, ITU) that establish international standards developed by experts from industry, commerce, government, test and research labs, academia and consumer groups who participate in IEC Standardization work.
UL’s CBTL designation was awarded after IEC performed an extensive onsite evaluation at UL’s lighting and IoT controls laboratory, witnessed by peer experts, that verified compliance with international requirements. The designation now allows UL to conduct multiple country certifications for lighting and lighting-related products, including luminaires, lamp control gears and LED modules, among others.
Per UL's description, "Established by IEC as a vast international arrangement for mutual acceptance of test reports among participating certification organizations, a CBTL is able to test a product to all harmonized standards - and to any national differences - resulting in global acceptance of test reports leading to national certification required for customers’ destination markets."
“Companies - particularly those addressing new light and IoT controls technologies - are continually inventing world-changing products and solutions,” noted Ryan Barger, engineering leader of Global Market Access Advisory Services at UL. “Whether a customer would like to learn about how European or international regulations impact their products, the various paths available to multi-market access, or would like UL to evaluate their lighting products for certification, our team has deep expertise in helping customers navigate the regulatory landscape of global markets to achieve their marketplace potential and thrive,” he added.
UL’s lighting and IoT controls laboratory offers safety testing and product evaluation, including certified safety and performance testing to all international standards, as well as sustainability and supply chain globalization assessments. While UL’s IEC CBTL designation was awarded in the United States, it is recognized worldwide thanks to this IEC recognition arrangement and means that a product can be tested in the U.S. to make sure it’s complying with safety and regulatory compliance in countries throughout the world.
“Here at UL, we see how innovation presents a whole new set of challenges and help make the complex simple, the confusing apparent and the insurmountable possible," concluded UL's Barger. "To that end, our lighting and IoT controls laboratory provides them with a one-stop-shop approach for necessary testing and evaluation to access markets in more than 50 countries.”
For more information, visit UL Lighting Advisory Services.