Rooftop solar panels cover Zhixi Garden in Zhejiang, China. Photo courtesy Astronergy/Zhejiang Chint New Energy Development Co.
The 2020 PV Module Reliability Scorecard from PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) and DNV GL is out, and the “top performers” have been pumping out press releases highlighting their commendable scores. But who is best of the best?
The scorecard follows in-depth analysis of PV technology, measuring field reliability per PV manufacturer in particular. It is a comprehensive look into top solar module manufacturers. The awards consider aspects such as the failure modes of PV modules, aging mechanisms, PV module failure rates, and warranty case studies.
“Scorecard rankings are based on results from PVEL’s PQP for PV modules. PVEL established the rigorous, comprehensive program in 2012 with two goals:
- To provide solar project developers, investors and asset owners with independent, consistent reliability and performance data for effective supplier management.
- To independently recognize manufacturers who outpace their competitors in product quality and durability.”
One of the scorecard’s tests and graphs, via 2020 PV Module Reliability Scorecard.
The results pointed to China-based PV module manufacturer Astronergy as the clear leader overall, the top “top performer.”
It is unmistakable that Astronergy (CHINT) dominated this year’s scorecard. The company topped the list of 22 Top Performer awards. Astronergy received “Top Performer” status in all four of PVEL’s historical testing regimes with four different PV modules:
- Thermal cycling (TC)
- Damp heat (DH)
- Potential-induced degradation (PID)
- Dynamic mechanical load (DML)
This was one of only two companies to have four modules get such a designation in all four categories, and only four companies had any “clean sweeps” across all four categories. Further: “The company was also the only member of the elite group that also achieved Top Performer status for two different PV modules (AstroTwins and AstroSemi) in PVEL’s new PAN file performance matching tests.”
Jack Zhou, product management director of Astronergy/Chint Solar’s Crystalline Silicon Division, said:
“I’m very glad that the ASTRO series have been awarded Top Performer again. The winning modules this time are the AstroSemi series and AstroTwins series modules that we are currently working on. The AstroTwins series retained degradation of less than 2% after five rigid extreme performance tests and achieved Top Performer status in each PQP test sequence, demonstrating the perfect combination of performance and reliability of Astronergy/Chint’s products.”
Astronergy’s AstroTwins series modules are bifacial solar modules in a double glass configuration.
In total, Astronergy’s solar modules got awarded “top performer” status 22 times, beating LONGi Solar’s 20, and far ahead of three companies getting the award 10 times each — GCL-SI, Trina Solar, and Hanwha Q CELLs.
In total, 22 different solar module manufacturers won at least one “top performer” award. LONGi Solar had the most modules win an award, 13, while GCL-SI had 8 modules win an award, and Astronergy and Trina Solar each had 6 modules win at least one award.
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