KIER gains international accreditation as wind power testing laboratory, paving the way for export of Korean technology

The Korea Institute of Energy Research (President: Yi Chang-Keun, hereinafter referred to as KIER) has been accredited by the International Electrotechnical Commission Renewable Energy Certification System (IECRE*) as an international Renewable Energy Testing Laboratory (RETL**) in the field of wind power, paving the way for the export of domestically developed wind power systems.

Until now, certification of Korean wind power systems, both domestic and international, has relied on overseas testing laboratories. Although test reports issued under the Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS) are available, many foreign markets require official test reports issued by IECRE-accredited RETLs, which are recognized internationally for wind turbine certification. This has led to significant time and cost burdens, and raised concerns about potential leakage of proprietary design data to foreign institutions during performance testing.

To address this issue, KIER established a new testing system that meets international standards and successfully obtained RETL accreditation from IECRE for power performance and mechanical load measurements of wind power systems.

Power performance and mechanical load measurements are mandatory test items required under international certification standards for wind power systems. Conducting these tests typically involves more than a year of long-term data collection on outdoor-installed wind turbines. Due to the harsh environmental conditions, specialized expertise is required from installing and calibrating measurement equipment to reliably managing long-term data.

In particular, mechanical load measurement is a critical test to verify the structural safety of wind power systems. It involves precise measurement of loads applied to key components such as blades, main shafts, and towers under various operating conditions. Advanced data analysis techniques are required to assess time-series loads, frequency response characteristics, and fatigue loads. Due to its stringent standards, this area is considered one of the most challenging to pass.

While KIER had already been accredited as an international testing laboratory by the Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS), it pursued RETL accreditation to strengthen its competitiveness in the global wind power market. To achieve this, KIER upgraded its existing measurement systems and advanced its testing infrastructure. In addition, it fully revised its technical guidelines and test analysis software to comply with the latest international testing standards.

In February of this year, an IECRE on-site assessment team visited KIER to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the entire process including equipment management and operation, measurement system setup, data collection and analysis, and test report issuance. As a result, KIER was officially accredited as a RETL in April.

Going forward, KIER plans to offer a wide range of performance testing services based on the IECRE system, enabling domestic companies and research institutions to directly access high-quality testing support. Through this, KIER aims to foster the growth of homegrown wind power technologies.

Dr. Eunkuk Son, lead researcher of KIER’s Wind Energy Research Department, stated, “From now on, test reports issued by KIER will be internationally recognized in overseas markets, effectively lowering entry barriers for Korean wind power systems and contributing to enhanced product reliability.”

This project was carried out with support from the Energy Technology Development Program (2020–2025) funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP). The Korea Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS), registered as the national body for IECRE in Korea, provided support for the pre-evaluation and coordination required for RETL accreditation.