Client Profile
Morningstar Corporation, the leader in off-grid solar controllers and inverters, is a U.S. company based in Newtown, PA. Since its establishment in 1993, Morningstar has supplied over 4 million products in over 100 countries through over 200 authorized distributors. The company has a far reach within the solar market, providing services to various industries within commercial, industrial, residential, telecom, and more. Morningstar is an employee-owned company that prides itself on delivering the highest possible quality and performance, with the lowest failure rate in the solar industry.
Business Challenge
In the solar industry, standards and regulations change quickly, with new standards emerging at a rapid pace. Morningstar has been using multiple compliance service providers but struggled to find one that aligned with all their specific needs. Morningstar wanted a compliance partner to be at the forefront of the fast-paced solar environment, while still being able to provide customized and tailored services to their clients. “With multiple service providers we faced a number of issues, but primarily, we felt that we were not getting the customer focus and attention that we needed. They lacked proper communication which often slowed our certification process and stretched our time-to-market.” – Bill Mellema, Director of Engineering. In 2013, Morningstar entered the market looking for a new service provider who was not only widely recognized and accepted and able to keep pace with the industry but also suited to meet their specific business needs.
Results
Since 2013, Morningstar and TÜV Rheinland have shared a very strong partnership. “When we switched to TÜV Rheinland, we had two goals in mind: ensure that each of our products complies with all quality and safety standards of the intended markets and decreases our overall time to market. TÜV Rheinland was able to help us achieve these and more.” Morningstar found that TÜV Rheinland provided a consistent, customer-oriented approach and the willingness to be flexible in special circumstances, something prior service providers lacked. With every new product, TÜV Rheinland works with Morningstar every step of the way, whether helping Morningstar to navigate new standards, identifying new challenges, or providing support throughout the entire certification process. “Every time we interface with TÜV Rheinland, we see the same faces. They are a group of hardworking individuals interested in the success of our product. They have consistently made our certification process as smooth as possible, ultimately helping us get our products to market faster, ” added Mellema.