Press Release - July 6th, 2010

WESTPAK Inc. Selected ESPEC to Develop Cutting Edge Solar Simulator

San Jose, California-July 6th, 2010

A new solar simulator chamber for photovoltaic module testing is currently being developed for WESTPAK, Inc., an independent testing laboratory in San Jose, California. The chamber, manufactured by ESPEC North America, is designed to control the temperature of the solar modules as they are tested for their performance under simulated sun light.

WESTPAK has purchased this system in order to help clients assess the performance of their modules at hot or cold temperatures that occur naturally in the field. The new system can simulate winter temperatures as low as -35?C (-30?F) and summer temperatures as high as 85?C (185?F), extremes which modules might realistically experience when exposed on a rooftop. To recreate these temperatures, the chamber has a six-foot by nine-foot solar light exposure area, large enough for several PV panels to be tested at a single time, thereby reducing the total testing duration. Six metal halide luminaries will provide simulated solar light exposure, and the chamber will be capable of conducting light simulation as required by the relevant IEC (and similar) module tests.

Besides the capacity to operate at different temperatures, the test chamber also features the necessary ability to remove the excess heat generated by its powerful sun simulator lamps. In addition to the lamps’ own cooling capability, ESPEC has designed the system with a 15-hp refrigeration system and 4,000 CFM air circulation to ensure that the optimum air temperature in the chamber is maintained.

“This new testing system gives WESTPAK clients the opportunity to more accurately and efficiently characterize the performance of their modules in varying operational environments,” said Herb Schueneman, President and CEO of WESTPAK.

About WESTPAK

WESTPAK, established in 1986, is a leading independent testing firm with laboratories in San Jose and San Diego, California accredited by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). WESTPAK specializes in product, reliability, distribution, packaging and related custom testing services for numerous industries, including solar, technology, and medical device. WESTPAK’s ISO 17025:2005 accreditation includes ASTM, ISTA, and many solar-related IEC test standards. WESTPAK’s clients include multi-national photovoltaic manufacturers as well as leading Fortune 500 companies. WESTPAK’s philosophy is "Integrity is the priceless ingredient in testing."

Contact:
Mark Escobedo, CTO
mark@westpak.com

Westpak Inc.,
83 Great Oaks Blvd.,
San Jose, California 95119
408-224-1300
www.westpak.com

About Espec North America
ESPEC has been building test chambers in the United States since 1983. We are part of the ESPEC Group, which includes manufacturing facilities in Japan and China, as well as sales and service support around the world. We are the largest company solely dedicated to the manufacture of environmental chambers, allowing us to concentrate on quality construction and innovative designs. Both our U.S. and Japanese manufacturing operations are ISO-9001 registered.
From the smallest temperature/humidity chamber in the industry to one that can test a satellite, ESPEC has the equipment and expertise to meet and exceed your testing requirements. Many of the chambers we ship to customers include optional features or customization to exactly fit the application.

Contact:

David Jung, Marketing Manager
ESPEC North America
djung@espec.com
877-463-7732
www.espec.com

Press Release - July 1st, 2010

Atonometrics Partners with WESTPAK, Inc. on UV Exposure Testing of Photovoltaic Modules

San Jose, California-July 1st, 2010

Atonometrics, Inc., an American company providing capital equipment to photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturers, today announced that Westpak Inc., has selected the Atonometrics UV Exposure System to test and certify PV modules.

"PV module testing is an exciting and growing market." said Herb Schueneman, President of Westpak. "Ensuring PV safety, quality, and reliability is a natural extension of our mission and capabilities.”

"Atonometrics is proud to support a world-class testing lab such as Westpak." said William Stueve, CEO of Atonometrics. "We are excited that our products are gaining acceptance by PV module manufacturers and testing agencies worldwide."

About Atonometrics, Inc.

Atonometrics (www.atonometrics.com), based in Texas, provides test & measurement equipment to PV module manufacturers and testing agencies worldwide.

Established in 1986, Westpak, Inc. is a leading independent environmental testing company with laboratories in California. Westpak specializes in product, reliability, distribution, packaging and related custom testing services. Westpak’s clients include global solar manufacturers, as well as leading Fortune 500 companies.

Contact :
Mark Escobedo, CTO
mark@westpak.com

WESTPAK Inc.,
83 Great Oaks Blvd.
San Jose, California 95119
408-224-1300
www.westpak.com

Press Release - May 28th, 2010

WESTPAK Announces ISTA 3B Test Capability

San Jose, California-May 28th, 2010

WESTPAK, Inc. is pleased to announce the capability for testing to ISTA 3B, the new test standard from the International Safe Transit Association for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments. Testing to ISTA 3B provides a thorough evaluation of freight packaging and allows companies to have a high degree of confidence in their products surviving the distribution environment. WESTPAK has the equipment and expertise to test oversized packages containing anything from server racks to solar panels.

Established in 1986, Westpak, Inc. is a leading independent environmental testing company with laboratories in California. Westpak specializes in product, reliability, distribution, packaging and related custom testing services. Westpak’s clients include global solar manufacturers, as well as leading Fortune 500 companies.

Contact :
Mark Escobedo, CTO
mark@westpak.com

WESTPAK Inc.,
83 Great Oaks Blvd.
San Jose, California 95119
408-224-1300
www.westpak.com

Press Release - February 26th, 2010

Applied Solar Selects Nationally Recognized Solar Testing Firm, Westpak, to Test its Unique PV Roof Membrane Product

San Diego, California-February 26th, 2010

Applied Solar, an award winning developer of innovative building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products has selected San Jose based Westpak, Inc. to conduct preliminary environmental testing on its next generation PV roof membrane module.  Prior to full scale production early next year, the module will be submitted for qualification as outlined in UL1703 and IEC61215. Westpak’s extensive experience in testing solar products for the world’s top manufacturers, as well as other products for Fortune 500 companies, will help ensure a successful and timely completion of this certification. 
Applied Solar’s BIPV roofing membrane is a unique solution that combines outstanding power generation, with very lightweight materials and a limited amount of required roof space to efficiently produce solar electricity.  Additionally, the product reduces installation labor as complicated rack mounting systems are not required. Applied’s roofing membrane is easily installed by a roofer or solar contractor and the system can be expanded to accommodate future needs.  
Applied’s crystalline based membrane product is a superior choice over thin film membrane due to its superior power density per square foot. More importantly, because there are no roof penetrations required to install the modules, the roofing manufacturers’ warranties remain intact. Additionally, given the product’s lightweight composition, it can be easily installed on virtually all buildings that have a flat roof; including membrane, bitumen and concrete roofs

About Westpak
Established in 1986, Westpak, Inc. is a leading independent environmental testing company with laboratories in California. Westpak specializes in product, reliability, distribution, packaging and related custom testing services. Westpak’s clients include global solar manufacturers, as well as leading Fortune 500 companies

Contact :
Mark Escobedo, CTO
mark@westpak.com

Westpak Inc.,
83 Great Oaks Blvd.,
San Jose, California 95119
408-224-1300
www.westpak.com

About Applied Solar
Applied Solar, LLC is a Next-Generation Solar Energy company that develops solar energy solutions, innovative solar products and energy management applications. Applied Solar’s award-winning products include proprietary, cost-competitive and attractive BIPV solar tiles, membranes and asphalt/composition products.
Contact:
David Field, CEO
dfield@appliedsolar.com
858-909-4080
www.appliedsolar.com

Press Release - January 4, 2010

WESTPAK, Inc. Test Labs Awarded ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Accreditation by A2LA

San Jose, California-January 4, 2010

WESTPAK testing laboratories in San Jose and San Diego, CA has been awarded ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). The accreditation includes various ASTM, ISTA, and solar-related IEC test standards.

The ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation provides both proof of testing proficiency and engineering expertise. This new accreditation compliments the ISO 9001:2000 registration awarded to WESTPAK in 2002.

WESTPAK’s test capabilities include environmental test chambers, mechanical vibration, shock, drop, tensile, compression, package integrity testing, material performance, accelerated and real time aging. The combination of equipment and technical expertise enables WESTPAK to conduct the highest quality testing of packaging, products, and materials for a diverse customer base including distribution, advanced technology, medical device, and solar industries.

Integrity in testing and outstanding customer service have been hallmarks for WESTPAK since its inception and remain cornerstones. “With this accreditation our clients have the assurance that WESTPAK is and will remain a high quality test lab.” says Herb Schueneman, President and CEO. Established in 1986, WESTPAK, Inc. is a leading independent mechanical and environmental testing company with laboratories in Northern and Southern California.

Contact :
Mark Escobedo, CTO
mark@westpak.com

Westpak Inc.,
83 Great Oaks Blvd.,
San Jose, California 95119
408-224-1300

www.westpak.com

Press Release - October 21, 2009

Westpak Deploys 230x150 CM Vibration Equipment to Test Large PV Panels

San Jose, California-October 21st, 2009

Westpak, Inc. is proud to announce our new 60” x 90” (1.5m x 2.3m) hydraulic shaker for testing large solar modules and package systems. With a 10,000 lbf (44kN) – 2.5” (63mm) displacement actuator this shaker can easily perform vibration tests on large system arrays and stacked crates of modules.

Established in 1986, Westpak, Inc. is an industry leading independent product and package testing laboratory with facilities in San Jose and San Diego, California.

Contact :
Mark Escobedo, CTO
mark@westpak.com

Westpak Inc.,
83 Great Oaks Blvd.,
San Jose, California 95119
408-224-1300

www.westpak.com

Press Release - October 13, 2009

Westpak achieves ISO 17025 Solar Testing Accreditation

San Jose, California – October 13th, 2009

WESTPAK, Inc. is excited to announce the completion of a successful application and assessment process to the ISO 17025:2005 standard.  Accreditation of both facilities will be complete by October 31, 2009.  WESTPAK’s Scope of Accreditation includes a dozen ASTM mechanical test standards, along with the following solar product tests:
* Temperature Cycling Test: IEC 61215 (10.11), IEC 62108 (10.6), UL 1703 (35)
* Humidity Freeze Test: IEC 61215 (10.12), IEC 62108 (10.8), UL 1703 (36)
* Damp Heat Test: IEC 61215 (10.13), IEC 62108 (10.7)

WESTPAK’s efforts to achieve ISO 17025 accreditation began a year ago as we sought to provide industry-leading testing capabilities to the solar industry. We built upon our ISO 9001 Quality Management System, certified since 2002, in order to provide the solar industry with one of the best testing and quality management systems available. The addition of the ISO 17025 accreditation will only improve the customer service and technical expertise offered by WESTPAK for over 23 years.

Based on our ISO 9001 and 17025 accreditations, WESTPAK prides itself on the following:
* An excellent quality management system supported by years of documentation
* Accredited calibration documentation related to externally calibrated reference standards
* Extensive calibration records for all instrumentation we calibrate internally
* Extensive Uncertainty of Measurement budgets for all instrumentation
* A small company attitude with an entrepreneurial spirit
* Outstanding support from top management
* Customer service second to none

Established in 1986, Westpak, Inc. is an industry leading independent product and package testing laboratory with facilities in San Jose and San Diego, California.

Contact :
Mark Escobedo, CTO
mark@westpak.com

Westpak Inc.,
83 Great Oaks Blvd.,
San Jose, California 95119
408-224-1300
www.westpak.com

Press Release - October 6, 2009

Westpak Announces the Offering of Specialized Testing Services for the Solar Photovoltaic and Thermal Products Markets

San Jose, California – October 6th 2009

Westpak, Inc., is proud to announce testing capabilities specific to the solar industry. Services now offered include damp heat, freeze-thaw and thermal cycling testing as specified in IEC 61215/61646/62108/61730-2 and UL 1703. Chambers of up to 128” x 78” x 84” (3.2m x 2.0m x 2.1m) are available. Additionally Westpak, Inc. offers module fragility and resonance analysis as well as package distribution and performance testing. Data from these tests can help guarantee damage free shipping of solar products, as well as help identify the causes of damage that may occur in existing shipments. 

Established in 1986, Westpak, Inc. is an industry leading independent product and package testing laboratory with facilities in San Jose and San Diego, California.

Contact :
Mark Escobedo, CTO
mark@westpak.com

Westpak Inc.,
83 Great Oaks Blvd.,
San Jose, California 95119
408-224-1300
www.westpak.com