The PlugVolt Battery Seminar hosted at Intertek's world-class Metro Detroit testing laboratory attracted top battery manufacturers and energy storage professionals from across the United States.

Arlington Heights, IL August 28, 2013

Intertek, the leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, partnered with PlugVolt, LLC, a leader in delivering interactive seminars and webinars to promote information exchange on a global scale, to present a two-day battery seminar featuring technical sessions by subject matter experts from Intertek, Chrysler, LG Chem, NextEnergy, A123 Systems, Clean Energy Trust, Johnson Controls, Wayne State University, and others. The event was held at Intertek's Plymouth, Michigan facility on August 13 and 14.

"We are extremely pleased with the PlugVolt Battery Seminar proceedings," said JC Soman, Program Manager at PlugVolt. "The event carried strong attendance from industry and academia, and the slate of presentations included 14 different modules on a wide range of topics from some of the best minds in the business. It accurately echoed the voice of this industry in discussing the present status quo of batteries, battery materials, regulatory topics, and economics of energy storage."

Rich Byczek, Global Technical Lead for Electric Vehicle & Energy Storage at Intertek, addressed the often overlooked testing requirements in the UN 38.3 standard that must be met prior to transporting lithium batteries to other countries. Considering the growth expectations for the advanced battery market, Byczek's presentation provided guidance for manufacturers to better prioritize the current requirements that need to be considered when bringing their product to global markets. Other educational tracks showcased deep industry knowledge related to the principles of electrochemistry, the basics of cell design, the fundamentals of stationary and Electric Vehicle/Hybrid Electric Vehicle (EV/HEV) applications, and end usage.

The advantage of hosting the PlugVolt Battery Seminar at Intertek's 100,000 square foot accredited testing facility was the ability to give attendees a firsthand look at the testing process for batteries and energy storage systems to meet global certification standards. Intertek Plymouth features extensive capability for electric vehicle batteries and systems, EVSE safety and performance, and more than 500 channels of battery performance capability.

"We have listened to our customers and responded by doubling our lab capacity in the Metro Detroit area," said Tim Hubbard, Sr. VP of Intertek's Transportation Technologies Business Line, on the new Plymouth facility which accommodates a higher volume of client projects while also providing on-site training opportunities. "Intertek is leading the charge in helping companies bring safe, reliable battery technologies to market – any market. Energy storage manufacturers will no longer accept a testing partner who is plugged in to a single industry; clients rely on Intertek's expertise across converging markets and technologies including transportation, consumer electronics, medical devices, information technology, wireless devices, and more to deliver a full-service solution to their diversified needs."

Intertek and PlugVolt will present their second joint development training on October 30 as Byczek presents a one-hour webinar on industry concerns for stranded energy in damaged and recycled batteries.

About Intertek

Intertek is the leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide. From auditing and inspection, to testing, training, advisory, quality assurance and certification, Intertek adds value to customers' products, processes and assets. With a network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 35,000 people in more than 100 countries, Intertek supports companies' success in a global marketplace. Intertek helps its customers to meet end users' expectations for safety, sustainability, performance, integrity and desirability in virtually any market worldwide. Visit http://www.intertek.com.