When choosing a charging station for your home, one of the primary considerations is safety certification. Be sure the charging station itself has a Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) or Interek (ETL) mark on it. This means it’s been tested and certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). NRTLs are third-party testing labs. They have a very rigorous long-term testing period for EV charging stations to be sure they will react appropriately to any kind of electrical condition. They also do water/dust/wind testing for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) standards. Enphase charging stations all have NEMA 4 ratings, meaning our charging stations are fully sealed and no water or dust can infiltrate. Many charging stations on the market are only NEMA 3 rated (or not rated at all)—meaning water can get through, but there is a drain hole to allow water to escape.
Some charging stations on the market have no safety certification at all, or they will claim to use UL- or ETL-listed parts. This is a big concern since a charging station’s purpose is to act as a safety device as power passes to your EV. All our charging stations are manufactured with NRTL-listed parts, and the final assembly is also certified by either UL or ETL.
Many customers ask what the difference is between a UL certification and an ETL certification. Simply put, there is no practical difference. These are just two different laboratories that are both certified to test EV charging stations. UL sets the standards originally, and both laboratories can test and certify that a product is compliant with those standards.
Electricians will often refuse to install a charging station that is not UL or ETL listed. They want to ensure that they're putting a safe product in your home. Also, uncertified products will not qualify for rebates and tax incentives offered through utilities, states, etc., so be sure to check for the UL or ETL mark.
All Enphase EV Chargers are NEMA 4 rated as well as safety certified by ETL or UL.
