A total of 247 module types from 35 manufacturers have been named “Top Performers” by PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) in its 2023 Module Reliability Scorecard, more than doubling last year’s numbers and the highest ever.
The scorecard, published today and now in its ninth year, presents findings from PVEL’s PV Module Product Qualification Program (PQP), scoring solar modules following the results of various testing procedures, including thermal cycling, damp heat, backsheet durability, LID/LeTID sensitivity and more. In total, there are nine different categories assessed.
Even though p-type passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) continues as the main cell technology across Top Performers, tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) passed from a single module type listed last year to 37 across six manufacturers, while heterojunction model types increased from two in 2022 to nine this year.
As this year registered an increased number of Top Performer manufacturers and module types, so did the percentage of manufacturers experiencing a failure, with nearly one-third of the bills of materials (BOMs) tested suffering at least one failure during testing.
“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.
This year’s Top Performers were spread across 12 different countries and were produced in Canada, Cambodia, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, the US and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, 11 manufacturers had one or more module types be Top Performers in every reliability test, with five of these model types also Top Performers in energy yield (PAN) performance.
The scorecard is designed to provide empirical data for revenue and yield modelling, examination of new technologies and manufacturing techniques, benchmarking processes and insight into the upstream solar sector.
Participation in PVEL’s PQP and scorecard is voluntary for manufacturers and only top-performing module model types are named in the scorecard. PVEL said that, to date, it has tested over 500 BOMs from more than 60 manufacturers for the PV Module PQP.
The complete scorecard has been made available in both an online digital format and via downloadable PDF at www.scorecard.pvel.com.