May 30, 2025
Global electricity consumption surged in 2024, and energy experts expect the trend to continue. Devices that run on electricity or batteries are seemingly ubiquitous today, whether consumers are at work, at home or on the road. The engineers and technicians at UL Solutions, a global leader in safety science, are helping players in the energy ecosystem safely generate, store and transmit the enormous amounts of electricity needed to meet the needs of industries and consumers around the world.
According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), global electricity consumption rose by nearly 1,100 terawatt-hours in 2024, more than twice the annual average increase over the past decade. The report also found that electricity demand reached a new high in advanced economies.
This dramatic increase offers new opportunities, while also presenting potential new risks. Navigating those challenges while mitigating safety and power reliability risks is where UL Solutions can help.
From mobile devices to electric vehicle (EV) technology to power plants, UL Solutions offers expertise to help prove that millions of electric- and battery-powered devices and utility-scale equipment have met stringent safety standards.
UL Solutions plays an essential role on the global stage by providing services to assist with grid code compliance (GCC). These GCC services include testing, inspection, certification and simulation services for a wide variety of power-generating units, as well as power plants.
“Helping companies mitigate risks associated with electricity has been central to our operations for more than 130 years,” said Wesley Kwok, vice president and general manager of the UL Solutions Energy and Industrial Automation group. “Every day we assist thousands of customers who help make it possible for electricity and battery power to be available in myriad ways, in compliance with numerous grid codes, in many countries. This is an integral part of our mission of working for a safer world.”
In response to the needs of manufacturers of energy equipment, UL Solutions has developed expertise for the following:
- Bidirectional EV chargers
- Photovoltaic inverters (for solar energy)
- Wind turbines
- Energy storage power conversion systems
- Combined heat and power generators
- Mini-hydroelectric generators
- Synchronous generators
- Power plant controllers
For power plant developers, UL Solutions can provide services for (1) simulation and certification for utility-scale power plants, (2) simulation and certification for utility-scale distributed energy resources, and (3) engineering grid studies.
With testing facilities in Germany, Spain and the United States, UL Solutions helps customers gain a comprehensive understanding of evolving grid code compliance standards and how to demonstrate compliance.
In a recent collaboration with Madrid-based energy company Repsol, UL Solutions helped more than 50 wind and photovoltaic power plants achieve the certification required by local authorities. These plants can feed energy into the power grid, contributing to sustainability goals.
UL Solutions also has collaborated with electrical equipment company Ingeteam, based in Zamudio, Spain. This project involves testing, simulation and certification processes for photovoltaic and storage converters to achieve compliance for grid codes in Germany, Spain, the European Union, Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Belgium, Mexico, Chile and Brazil.
For customers pursuing compliance to multiple grid codes, UL Solutions’ parallel certification process can increase efficiency by reducing costs and turnaround time, as well as the number of samples required.
Globally, UL Solutions has supported more than 200 renewable installations, resulting in a growth in installed capacity of more than 9 gigawatts. Thanks to a global network of experts, UL Solutions can help stakeholders demonstrate compliance to more than 60 grid codes around the world.
EVs on the Rise
According to the IEA report, global sales of electric cars rose by more than 25% in 2024. One of the many factors contributing to the popularity of EVs is bidirectional charging technology. Bidirectional EV chargers not only draw power from the grid, but they also can add power back to the grid. Furthermore, battery storage technology allows certain EVs to act as a backup energy source, which could be extremely important during a power outage.
Grid code compliance identifies numerous parameters for EV technology, including the proper settings of the energy that should flow through a bidirectional charger. Achieving grid code compliance helps consumers avoid potentially dangerous situations, and it helps promote grid stability and efficiency.
UL Solutions recently assisted Wallbox, a Barcelona-based leader in EV charging and energy management, to achieve certification for its Quasar 2 bidirectional charger, helping ensure compliance with key safety and performance benchmarks. This achievement was significant for the EV industry as Quasar 2 became the first bidirectional charger to meet critical safety and performance standards for direct current (DC) EV chargers with a CCS1 connector. Testing for that project was conducted at UL Solutions laboratories in Germany, Spain and the United States.
To learn more about UL Solutions’ accreditations and offerings, visit the Grid Code Compliance Services web page.
Photo caption: As global electricity consumption has risen and stakeholders continue to pursue many renewable energy options, grid code compliance has remained critical in every aspect of the power grid.