VeraSol recognizes that many off-grid solar companies are continuing to face supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19. For some companies, these disruptions have caused products to go out of stock. In a June 2021 GOGLA survey with off-grid solar manufacturers, 73% of respondents expected that supply chain disruptions would cause stock-outs, and in a March 2022 follow-up survey, 69% of respondents reported that they are still experiencing or expect product stock-outs. If this stock-out corresponds to the timing of product renewal, some companies may not be able to meet the minimum stock requirements for VeraSol renewal testing.

To help address this issue, in August 2021, VeraSol offered companies the option to extend their product’s expiration date by six months without any additional testing. This 6-month extension was offered to eligible products that had an expiration date between August 31, 2021 and June 30, 2022. Given that supply chain disruptions continue, VeraSol is extending its policy so that products with expiration dates until December 31, 2022 are eligible for a 6-month extension.

VeraSol will also offer a second 6-month extension (one year total) for eligible products that have already been extended through this policy. Companies who chose to do a second extension for their product will be required to do a warehouse inspection with VeraSol’s third-party sampling agent to confirm that the product’s packaging and user manual meet the relevant Quality Standards.

Please note that any products extended through this policy should still be considered to meet the relevant Quality Standards and be certified by VeraSol. For the most up-to-date information and to verify a product’s certification status, please visit the VeraSol Product Database.

If you have any questions about VeraSol’s response to COVID-19 supply chain challenges, please contact us at testing@verasol.org.