PV Evolution Labs Issues New PV Module Rankings Based on Independent Test Results

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The 2020 PV Module Reliability Scorecard highlights major advancements in PV module technology while noting concerning safety and performance failures

BERKELEY, Calif., May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), the leading independent test lab for the global downstream solar industry, today published the 6^th Edition of its PV Module Reliability Scorecard in partnership with DNV GL, the world's largest resource of independent experts and certification body. The report reveals eight new Top Performers compared to the 2019 Scorecard.  However, it also shows that some manufacturers overlooked minimum safety and quality controls in the rush to bring innovative PV cell and module technologies to market.

"A diverse array of PV technologies has upended conventional R&D timelines to achieve rapid commercialization, leading PVEL to test more cell and module combinations for our 2020 Scorecard than at any point in our ten-year history," commented Tara Doyle, Chief Commercial Officer of PVEL.  "Developers and investors need independent, reliable data to balance the reliability risks inherent to new products against the promise of higher-performing, more lucrative projects."

PVEL's annual scorecard ranks commercially available PV modules based on results from PVEL's PV Module Product Qualification Program (PQP), a comprehensive sequence of performance and extended reliability tests that approximate the impact of decades of field exposure on PV modules. The PQP provides empirical data for PV module supplier evaluations and project-level energy yield and financial models.

Several concerning trends emerged in the 2020 Scorecard:

• 20% of BOMs failed at least one test.
• Safety issues: 12% of BOMs tested failed the wet leakage test protocol required for IEC 61215 certification. 100% of PV modules tested by PVEL received this certification and thus should have passed this PQP characterization step.
• Poor potential-induced degradation (PID) results: PVEL observed its highest recorded median degradation rate for PID, a preventable failure mode that is regularly described as "solved." Results indicate that baseline anti-PID module design procedures were not followed by all PQP participants.

"Arevon, North America's leading renewable energy company with over 3,500 MWdc of operating PV solar, is relying on data from PVEL's Product Qualification Program (PQP) and statistical batch testing to inform PV module procurement and technical due diligence for several GWs of projects in our pipeline," commented Jared Porpiglia, Director of Procurement at Arevon. "From utility solar power plants to distributed generation, PVEL's program enables objective assessments of potential suppliers and new technologies that can be leveraged as a powerful tool to optimize project finance assumptions."

The 2020 Scorecard includes first-of-their-kind Top Performer designations for modeled performance. The rankings are based on energy yield models built using PVEL-measured PAN files for PVsyst modeling software. Bifacial PV modules exhibited the strongest results in this new Top Performer category.

"As developers strive for increasingly cost-effective PV power plants that will operate for thirty or more years, PVEL's independent data helps us evaluate whether projects will meet modeled lifetime expectations," commented Dana Olson, Global Solar Segment Leader of DNV GL.  "Our analysis of PVEL's historic PQP data demonstrates that their carefully designed program helps provide data-driven insights necessary for extending the useful life of solar assets."

Participation in PVEL's PQP is voluntary for manufacturers and only top-performing module models are ranked in the Scorecard. Since PVEL launched its PV Module PQP in 2012, it has tested over 360 bills of material (BOMs) from more than 50 module manufacturers.

The 2020 PV Module Reliability Scorecard is available as a free download at www.pvel.com/pv-scorecard.

About PVEL
PVEL is the leading reliability and performance testing lab for downstream solar project developers, financiers, and asset owners and operators around the world. With over ten years of experience and accumulated data, PVEL conducts testing that demonstrates solar technology bankability. Its trusted, independent reports replace assumptions about solar equipment performance with data-driven, quantifiable metrics that enable efficient solar project financing and development. The PVEL network connects all major PV and storage manufacturers with 400+ global downstream partners representing 30+ gigawatts of annual buying power. PVEL's mission is to support the worldwide PV downstream buyer community by generating data that accelerates adoption of solar technology. Learn more at pvel.com.

About DNV GL
DNV GL is a global quality assurance and risk management company. Driven by its purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, the company enables customers to advance the safety and sustainability of their business. DNV GL provides classification, technical assurance, software and independent expert advisory services to the maritime, oil & gas, power and renewables industries. The company also provides certification, supply chain and data management services to customers across a wide range of industries. Operating in more than 100 countries, DNV GL experts are dedicated to helping customers make the world safer, smarter and greener.

DNV GL delivers world-renowned testing, certification and advisory services to the energy value chain including renewables and energy management. The company's expertise spans onshore and offshore wind power, solar, conventional generation, transmission and distribution, smart grids, and sustainable energy use, as well as energy markets and regulations. Its experts support customers around the globe in delivering a safe, reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy supply.

Learn more at www.dnvgl.com/power-renewables

For further information, contact:

PV Evolution Labs (PVEL)
Tori Clifford
Head of Marketing
[email protected] 
+1 301-717-6796

DNV GL
Bethany Genier
Regional Communications Manager, North America
[email protected]
Mobile +1 339 927 8815

SOURCE PV Evolution Labs (PVEL)