For the first time in the independent testing laboratory’s 12-year history, no single module has achieved the coveted “top performer” rating in all tests, and a record 87% of manufacturers experienced at least one failure during testing.
Independent photovoltaic product testing laboratory Kiwa PVEL has released the 2026 version of its PV Module Reliability Scorecard, which reveals the performance of solar modules submitted by manufacturers for testing.
Now in its 12th year, the Kiwa PVEL scorecard is a digital resource that displays the results of the company’s Product Qualification Program (PQP), a group of extended solar module reliability and performance tests that the lab conducts on submitted modules based on common methods of failure.
Modules that exceed the minimum reliability and performance measures of a test are labeled as “top performers” in the scorecard for that test.
In order to qualify for placement on the scorecard, solar module manufacturers must provide at least two samples for each specific model (known as a “bill of materials,” or BOM), but since multiple PQP tests are conducted concurrently, manufacturers typically submit a full pallet of modules for testing. The submitted modules must have been produced while a representative from Kiwa PVEL is present at the manufacturing facility.
