![](images/Logos/PV%20Magazine.jpg)
August 01, 2023
By
RYAN KENNEDY
Top solar panel brands in
performance, reliability, and quality
Solar modules are evaluated in the
Renewable Energy Test Center annual PV Module Index.
![](images/images_08_03_2023/LongimoduleMay23-1536x1152-1-1200x900.jpg)
Image: PV Magazine
The Renewable
Energy Test Center (RETC) released its 2023 PV
Module Index report, evaluating the reliability, quality, and
performance of solar panels.
Solar modules
are put through a variety of accelerated stress tests to evaluate
these parameters. Through comparative test results, project
stakeholders can select products best suited for a particular
environment, location, or portfolio.
Quality
Hail durability
Top performers: JA Solar, JinkoSolar,
Trina Solar
RETC’s hail
durability test takes UL and IEC standards testing a step further,
exposing solar modules to higher kinetic impact to reflect the risk
posed by hail over a 25 or 30-year operating life. In addition to
ballistic impact testing, RETC runs thermal cycle and hot-spot tests
to reveal potential long-term module degradation.
The top eight
performers in this category withstood an effective kinetic energy of
20 Joules or more. These modules effectively demonstrated resistance
to a 45 mm (1.8 in.) iceball traveling at a terminal velocity of 30.7
m/s (68.7 mph).
Thresher Test
Top performers: Astronergy, JA Solar
Longi Solar, Runergy
The thresher
test is a summation of a series of tests that places modules under a
variety of vigorous environmental stresses to provide quantitative
data behind degradation modes. Power drop, leakage current and visual
observations are also made in the test.
The RETC test
places backsheets, modules, and connectors through accelerated
stresses. Thresher tests include humidity-freeze cycling, thermal
cycling, damp heat exposure, static and dynamic load testing, and UV
soaking. High performers in this category consistently achieved less
than 2% of power degradation.
Performance
LeTID resistance
Top performers: Aptos Solar,
Astronergy, JA Solar, Runergy, SEG Solar, Silfab Solar, Solar Space,
Trina Solar, Yingli Solar
Relatively new
cell technologies may experience long-term degradation associated with
light exposure and elevated temperatures. This phenomenon, called
light- and elevated temperature-induced degradation (LeTID), is tested
with a protocol of light soaking, followed by 75 C (167 F) temperature
exposure for two 162-hour cycles to identify significant degradation
(>5%). Subsequently, test samples are subject to 500 hours of 75 C
temperature exposure followed by two additional 162-hour cycles.
Highlighted
top performers demonstrated products that had less than 0.75% power
loss after 486 hours of exposure.
LID resistance
Top performers: Dehui Solar, Longi
Solar, Merlin Solar
Light-induced
degradation (LID), or power losses from sunlight exposure, affects
some PV cell types but not others. PV modules exposed to LID losses
rapidly lose performance over the first few hours or days of operation
before stabilizing.
RETC notes LID
resistance is highly correlated with cell type. Top performers were
all monocrystalline silicon panels and experienced an increase in
performance or a modest decrease amounting to less than one tenth of
one percent.
Module efficiency
Top performers: Auxin Solar, JA
Solar, Longi Solar, Meyer Burger, Mission Solar, Qcells, REC Solar,
Silfab Solar, Trina Solar, Yingli Solar
Module
efficiency, or the percentage of incident solar energy converted to
electrical energy, is a well-known and key metric for solar
performance. It is highly correlated with cell technology and module
design.
The top 14
highest scoring modules scored efficiencies of 20% or more. An n-type
TOPCon cell scored the highest at 25.8% efficiency, followed by a
monocrystalline silicon module with heterojunction technology,
recording a 22.4% efficiency.
Top performers: Dehui Solar, JA
Solar, Longi Solar, Qcells, Runergy, Yingli Solar
The PAN file
test is a module characterization test with 22 parameters set by the
PVsyst modeling software. Project developers use PVsyst to evaluate
potential sites based on energy production and financial performance.
The assuming
filed test conditions of a 10 MW utility-scale solar plant in Midland,
Texas with fixed tilt ground mounts and 500 kVA central inverters. Top
performers in the PAN test achieved a performance ratio in PVsyst of
85% or greater.
Reliability
Damp heat test
Top performers: Astronergy, JA Solar,
Longi Solar, Qcells, Runergy, Trina Solar, Yingli Solar
The RETC
thresher test includes a damp heat test that exposes modules for 2,000
hours, double the amount required for product certification. The test
evaluates a module’s ability to withstand prolonged exposure to humid,
high-temperature environments. Taking place inside an environmental
chamber, the test exposes modules to a controlled temperature of 85 C
(185 F) and a relative humidity of 85% for a set amount of time.
RETC
highlighted performers that experienced less than 2% degradation after
this exposure.
PID resistance
Top performers: Astronergy, JA Solar,
JinkoSolar, Qcells, Runergy
Potential
induced degradation (PID) resistance tests rack-mounted modules in an
environmental chamber, which controls temperature and humidity, and
exposes them to a voltage bias of several hundred volts with respect
to the mounting structure. Typically, exposure times range from 96
hours to as much as 500 hours. PID testing characterizes a module’s
ability to withstand degradation due to voltage and current leakage
resulting from ion mobility between the semiconductor and other
elements in module packaging.
Nearly 28% of
the test samples experienced less than 1% degradation over the test
period. By comparison, less than 9% of modules achieved greater than
5% power loss.
Static and dynamic mechanical load
test
Top performers: Astronergy, JA Solar,
JinkoSolar, Longi Solar, Runergy, Trina Solar, Yingli Solar
This test
exposes modules to 1,000 cycles of +1,000 pascal and –1,000 pascal
loads at a frequency of three to seven cycles per minute. Measurements
were taken after this stress test rate electrical performance.
This year,
nearly 47% of the modules that RETC subjected to simulated wind and
environmental stresses achieved less than 2% degradation in power.
Roughly 17% of the total test samples experienced less than 1%
degradation in power after the SDML sequence. RETC notes that the
results in this category represent a modest improvement on a
year-over-year basis.
Thermal cycling
Top performers: Astronergy, JA Solar,
JinkoSolar, Longi Solar, Qcells, Runergy, Saint Gobain, Trina Solar,
Yingli Solar
The thermal
cycle test calls for cycling modules in an environmental chamber
between two temperature extremes—85 C (185 F) on the high end and –40
C (–40F) on the low end. The RETC test runs 600 cycles, three times
as much as the 200 required for certification.
Roughly 80% of
modules in this test achieved less than 2% power loss, while only 2.4%
had power losses of 4% or more.
Overall top
performers
“To identify
the best of the best, we reviewed and ranked the overall data
distributions across all three disciplines: quality, performance, and
reliability. The Overall Results Matrix on the right summarizes the
results of this analysis, which highlights eight high achievers based
on overall highest achievement in manufacturing,” said RETC.
Top performers (alphabetical order):
Astronergy, JA Solar, JinkoSolar, Longi Solar, Qcells, Runergy, Trina
Solar, Yingli Solar
Green Play Ammonia™, Yielder® NFuel Energy.
Spokane, Washington. 99212
www.exactrix.com
509 995 1879 cell, Pacific.
Nathan1@greenplayammonia.com
exactrix@exactrix.com
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