As announced in July 2025, VeraSol is transitioning elements of its product certification process for off-grid solar energy kits. This transition aims to establish a new operational model that is more sustainable, scalable, and decentralized, while maintaining the rigor and credibility of the VeraSol certification framework.

VeraSol has selected two commercial partners – Shenzhen Academy of Metrology & Quality Inspection (SMQ) and Intertek Testing Services – Government and Trade Services (GTS) – to provide certification services. Both organizations have supported VeraSol’s testing program for many years and bring deep technical expertise in off-grid product testing and quality evaluation. Building on this long-standing collaboration, VeraSol will expand their role to include certification-related functions.

VeraSol is excited to work with these trusted partners in this next chapter and to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the certification ecosystem.

“SMQ is proud to deepen our partnership with VeraSol by expanding our role from testing to certification services. As a government-authorized quality infrastructure institution in Shenzhen with extensive experience in solar technology testing, we are well-positioned to deliver rigorous services to companies in China and abroad,” said Hui Liu, Assistant to the Director at SMQ.

“Intertek is pleased to support VeraSol in the next phase of its certification evolution. As a global institution with decades of experience in product testing, certification, and supply chain quality assurance, Intertek GTS brings robust conformity assessment systems and global market recognition to the off-grid solar sector,” said Jérémy Gaspard, Vice President, Government and Trade Services (GTS) at Intertek.

What to expect

In the next six months, VeraSol will train these partners on new procedures. These include: client onboarding, creating test plans, sampling coordination, and issuing both test and compliance reports.

If You Are a Company Seeking Product Certification

• For now, companies should continue to reach out directly to VeraSol to initiate the certification process.
• In the coming months, companies may notice that some compliance reports (assessing requirements in the IEC TS 62257-9-8 quality standard) are issued by the same laboratory that conducted product testing, rather than by VeraSol. As part of this process, the laboratory may contact companies directly to request supporting documentation or updated consumer-facing materials required to finalize compliance reports.

[Note: The compliance reports are detailed inspection reports presenting how each product or family meets the requirements of IEC TS 62257-9-8 based on results from IEC TS 62257-9-5 testing and product documentation]

• By August, SMQ and Intertek are expected to assume responsibility for initial client engagement and certification contracting. VeraSol will provide detailed guidance on timing and next steps to ensure a smooth transition.
• Both commercial partners are currently determining service fees. Additional information regarding costs will be shared in the coming months. VeraSol will provide advance notice as we have more information.

If You Are a User of VeraSol Certificates and Data

• Throughout the transition, VeraSol will maintain program oversight to ensure that high standards are upheld and disruptions are minimized.
• VeraSol continues to issue the VeraSol certificates during and after the transition. The VeraSol certificate is a public-facing document, published on the VeraSol Product Database, that confirms a product or product family’s certification status under the VeraSol program.
• In addition, compliance reports will be issued by VeraSol’s commercial partners to companies. The compliance reports provide detailed documentation demonstrating each product or product family’s conformity to the IEC TS 62257-9-8 quality standard.
• VeraSol will also continue to host and manage the centralized VeraSol Product Database, which remains a trusted resource for companies, distributors, governments, and development partners seeking high-quality off-grid solar products.

For more information and to stay updated on the transition process, please visit the certification transition page on the VeraSol website or contact the team at info@verasol.org.