L R AS Published on Tuesday 24 May 2022 - n° 405 - Categories:panels
The quality of the panels has been tested by PVEL
The reliability of the panels was tested, as it is every year, by PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), with contrasting results. A total of 122 panel types from 25 manufacturers were designated as "Top Performers". The "best results ever obtained" in certain categories and more powerful panels were compensated.
by mediocre performance in other areas.
The panels are much more powerful than last year, up to 650 W. On average, they are more than 450 W. Eleven cell formats were evaluated. The larger sizes performed just as well as the smaller ones. They underwent nine different tests.
A record number of manufacturers (12 in total) saw one or more panel types achieve the best performance in all the reliability tests. Six of these model types also achieved the best performance in terms of energy efficiency (PAN). Overall, panel technology is improving, says PVEL. PVEL's thermal cycle results are "the best in its history" - 90% of the BOMs tested degraded by less than 2%, with a median of 0.72% and an average of 0.97%. PVEL also observed "a significant number of failures" during the mechanical test sequences.
In contrast, just under half of all participating manufacturers experienced at least one failure, a significant jump from 26% in 2020, and 20% in 2019.
The dashboard provides empirical data for revenue and performance modelling, examination of new technologies and manufacturing techniques, benchmarking processes and an overview of the upstream solar sector.
Participation by manufacturers is voluntary. Only the best performing panel models are listed on the scorecard. PVEL has stated that to date it has tested over 500 BOMs from more than 50 manufacturers.
The full evaluation sheet is available to download online at www.panneauxcorecard.pvel.com.
PV Tech of 17 May 2022
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This year, a record 12 manufacturers had one or more model types that were the best performers in all reliability tests - and six of these model types were also the best performers in terms of energy efficiency (PAN). The best performing models came from four different designs, different cell sizes and were sourced from the USA, China, Malaysia and Thailand. Interestingly, all the PAN Top Performers were bifacial panels.
The results of the thermal cycle and wet heat tests are good examples of the progress made by the industry. This year's thermal cycle results are another piece of good news. They are the best in PVEL's history. Around 90% of the panels tested suffered less than 2% degradation.
The wet heat tests were only passed by half of the panels tested, which achieved the best results after the full sequence of tests.
In this year's test, PVEL found that 67% fewer BOMs required boron-oxygen (BO) stabilisation. Only 23% of the best performing BOMs required stabilisation to achieve less than 2% degradation, compared to 70% in 2021.
"PVEL's dashboard shows impressive examples of product performance and reliability through our rigorous testing programme. These tests make it easy for buyers to identify high quality panels.
PV Magazine 18 May 2022
