Kiwa PVEL Releases Tenth Edition of PV Module Reliability Scorecard

PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), an autonomous testing facility catering to the downstream solar industry and affiliated with the Kiwa Group, has introduced its newest PV Module Reliability Scorecard. This milestone marks the tenth edition of the publication, highlighting 388 model types of PV modules from 53 manufacturers as Top Performers in PVEL's rigorous testing.

This edition boasts the largest number of entries ever recorded for top performers, surpassing the previous edition which featured 250 model types from 35 manufacturers.

Kiwa PVEL utilizes the Product Qualification Program (PQP) to provide the solar sector with empirical data, facilitating PV module benchmarking and the recognition of top-performing modules for project-level energy yield and financial modeling.

In addition to expanding PQP testing, the Scorecard introduces a new Top Performer category for hail resilience, highlighting modules that withstand ≥40 mm hail without glass breakage. Furthermore, it raises the bar for LID+LETID and PAN Top Performers, reflecting technological advancements. This edition emphasizes manufacturers excelling in various categories, revealing the impact of different cell technologies and module designs. Notably, it provides a comprehensive analysis of Kiwa PVEL's Incidence Angle Modifier (IAM) test findings for the first time. 

This year's test outcomes reveal a noteworthy statistic: 66 percent of module manufacturers encountered at least one test failure, marking the highest percentage ever documented, according to Kiwa PVEL.

The 10 out of 53 top performing manufacturers hail from India. These include the Emmvee Photovoltaic (Bengaluru), Waaree (Mumbai), Premier Energies (Hyderabad), ReNew (Gurugram), Vikram Solar (Kolkata), Adani Solar (Ahmedabad), Goldi Solar (Surat), Jakson (Noida), Tata Power Solar (Mumbai), and Saatvik (Ambala).

While several Indian players mentioned in the list have maintained their presence for a considerable period, some are relatively new additions. Adani Solar has consistently been a top performer since 2018, while Vikram Solar has been featured every year since 2017, except for 2018. Among the newer entrants are Waaree (for the past three years), Emmvee, and Premier Energies, each making their debut on the list last year. First-time appearances among Indian manufacturers include Goldi, Jakson, ReNew, Saatvik, and Tata Power Solar.

In terms of performance, Emmvee stands out as the sole Indian company to attain Top Performer status in all seven tests. Meanwhile, three firms—Waaree, Premier Energies, and ReNew—achieved top status in six out of seven tests. Vikram Solar (5/7), Adani Solar (4/7), Goldi Solar (4/7), Jakson (4/7), Tata Power Solar (4/7), and Saatvik (1/7) round off the list.

The seven tests include Thermal Cycling, Damp Heat, Mechanical Stress Sequence, Hail Stress Sequence, Potential-Induced Degradation, LID + LETID, and PAN Performance.