This year, a record number of manufacturers had one or more types of models that were the best in each reliability test – and six of these types of models were also the best in terms of energy efficiency.
In the PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) published today, the reliability assessment of the PV Module Scorecard 2022 122 models of photovoltaic modules from 25 manufacturers are referred to as The best performers in PVEL testing. PVEL is a leading independent testing laboratory for the next industry of solar energy and energy storage.
Launched in 2014 and now in its 8th edition, Scorecard summarizes the results of the PV Module Product Qualification Program (PQP), a testing mode that PVEL established in 2012 to provide empirical data for comparative analysis of PV module and energy generation at project levels and financial models. .
This was announced by PVEL Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tristan Erion-Lorica pv magazine that as the industry matures developers, investors and insurance companies have realized that there can be a significant difference between certified modules and modules that go through a product qualification program. Customers not only in US markets but around the world are demanding reports. “It opens up a significant portion of the market,” Erion-Lorica said.
“The reliability indicator of the 2022 PV module is a testament to the resilience of an industry that is relentlessly committed to deploying reliable solar energy – no matter what obstacles arise. We know that the world is counting on us in the transition to clean energy. At PVEL, we create data that is important for a greener future, and we are pleased to report that the results of many of our tests have improved. ” Jenna Maidbray, CEO of PVEL
Last year was the first time the report was online, and 20,000 people from more than 100 different countries downloaded the report.
“People are using our data to help them identify manufacturers and modules they need to consider for projects,” Erion-Lorico said. “It’s beneficial for the manufacturers who work in it because they reach 20,000 potential customers.”
Looking back at eight years of PQP testing, Erion-Lorica noted that one of the biggest changes seen this year is the different module sizes and the wide range of module power classes.
This year, a record of 12 manufacturers had one or more types of models that were the best in each reliability test – and six of those types of models were also the best in terms of power generation (PAN). The best performers were from four different designs, different cell sizes, and from the US, China, Malaysia and Thailand. Interestingly, all the best PAN performers were two-person modules.
“This is good news. No matter what they produce, they can achieve excellent results that go through all the trials, ”said Erion-Lorica, emphasizing that this is a sign of maturity in the industry.
Test results for thermal cycle and humid heat are good examples of advances in this area. This year’s Thermal Cycling results – another good news – are the best in PVEL history. About 90% of the tested modules deteriorated by less than 2%. As Erion-Lorica noted, this is basically a test for solder fatigue, which they see much less, which indicates the accuracy that has been achieved at this stage of the production process.
Humid heat testing, however, showed a wide range of performance: only half of the test modules achieved the highest results after a complete test sequence, and one module deteriorated by 54%, the worst wet heat result in PVEL history. This is a lamination module test, Erion-Lorica said, noting that in the past, when the mono PERC became more widely used, there was a destabilization problem that had large power losses.
In this year’s test, PVEL noted a 67% reduction in the number of materials (BOMs) that require boron-oxygen (BO) stabilization: only 23% of the most effective BOMs required BO stabilization to achieve degradation <2% vs. 70% in 2021. According to Erion-Loric, they do not see the same level of destabilization, but now the poor results are more related to corrosion, which may be a by-product of gallium impurities or may be related to cell metallization.
“Manufacturers overcame significant challenges last year, and compared to previous performance systems, the results of 2022 show that module technology as a whole is improving,” said Erion-Lorico. “The PVEL performance map demonstrates impressive examples of product performance and reliability as part of our rigorous testing program, allowing buyers to easily identify high-quality modules.”
PVEL typically releases new tests every two years as new failure modes develop. For example, the degradation test caused by light and elevated temperature (LETID) was added in 2018 to test for failure in mostly PERC cells. PVEL has also recently added hail consistency because hail has become a significant problem in recent years.
“As we see more n-type modules, TopCon modules and heterojunctions, we can see the failure modes specific to these module types. It is important that the tests are relevant to the goods being shipped, ”Erion-Lorico said.
Participation in PQP and Scorecard PVEL is voluntary for manufacturers, and only the most productive model types of modules are listed in Scorecard. To date, PVEL has tested more than 500 specifications from more than 50 manufacturers for the PV PQP module. The scorecard is publicly available at interactive digital format, with a database of modules with the best performance at. A Resume in pdf for download also available.
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https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2022/05/17/2022-pv-module-reliability-scorecard-results-show-resilience-of-the-industry/
