Independent solar testing lap PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) today published its “2023 PV Module Reliability Scorecard,” which names 250 model types of PV modules from 35 manufacturers as Top Performers in PVEL’s testing, the most in the company’s history.
Credit: Oregon Department of Transportation
In its ninth edition, the scorecard provides actionable insights for PV module procurement based on data from PVEL’s lab and field testing. It summarizes results from the PV Module Product Qualification Program (PQP), a comprehensive testing regime established by PVEL in 2012 to provide empirical data for PV module benchmarking and project-level energy yield and financial models.
“Solar technology and the manufacturer landscape continue to evolve rapidly, and with module supply issues persisting, buyers need guidance on how to procure the best possible modules for their projects,” said Tristan Erion-Lorico, VP of sales and marketing at PVEL, part of the Kiwa Group. “Our 2023 Scorecard features a truly global list of module manufacturers. For buyers worldwide looking to understand the critical differences across cell technologies and module designs, our Scorecard provides many key insights and an easy way to search through the best commercially available options for developers.”
While the number of Top Performer manufacturers and models increased this year, so did the percentage of manufacturers experiencing a failure. Additionally, almost one-third of the bills of materials (BOMs) tested suffered at least one failure during testing, and 15% of BOMs had a failure before stress testing.
An interesting note in the findings: While p-type PERC remains the dominant cell technology across Top Performers, there are 37 TOPCon model types listed as Top Performers, up from just one in 2022. Nine HJT model types are also included this year, up from two last year.
“PVEL’s Scorecard is an essential resource in understanding how to procure high-performing, reliable modules,” said Luca Votta, Global Business Sector Leader Renewable Energy at Kiwa Group. “The contributions included in this year’s Scorecard from Kiwa member companies around the world also highlight how our global expertise is supporting solar development and ongoing site operations in various markets.”
Participation in PVEL’s PQP and scorecard is voluntary for manufacturers and only top-performing module model types are named in the scorecard. To date, PVEL has tested over 500 BOMs from more than 60 manufacturers for the PV Module PQP.
News item from PVEL
