- 43 manufacturers achieved Top Performer status in the 2026 Scorecard.
- 13 manufacturers were recognised as Top Performers for the first time.
- 87% of manufacturers recorded at least one Product Qualification Program failure, highlighting growing reliability concerns.
Kiwa PVEL has released the 12th edition of its annual PV Module Reliability Scorecard, recognising a broad range of solar module manufacturers and model types that demonstrated strong performance across its Product Qualification Program (PQP) testing.
To achieve Top Performer status, module model types manufactured from unique bill of materials configurations must meet or exceed the performance thresholds established for each PQP reliability test.
The 2026 Scorecard introduces a new Top Performer category for Ultraviolet Induced Degradation (UVID), alongside expanded analysis featuring Key Takeaways and Test Result Spotlights. The new content focuses on some of the solar industry’s most significant reliability challenges, including module breakage, UVID, and the reliability and performance of n type technologies.
In response to a growing number of PQP failures, Kiwa PVEL has also increased its focus on reliability issues identified during testing, with enhanced reporting on both overall failures and test specific performance.
For the first time, the organisation will publish the Scorecard twice annually, with an updated edition scheduled for release in November 2026.
A total of 43 manufacturers were recognised as Top Performers in the 2026 Scorecard. Among them, 15 manufacturers achieved Top Performer status in at least seven of the eight PQP tests. Only two manufacturers had a single model type that qualified as a Top Performer across all reliability tests, including Thermal Cycling, Damp Heat, Mechanical Stress Sequence, Hail Stress Sequence, Potential Induced Degradation, Ultraviolet Induced Degradation, and Light Induced Degradation plus Light and Elevated Temperature Induced Degradation.
The report also highlights the rarity of consistent excellence across all testing categories. Out of 246 unique model types recognised as Top Performers, only five bill of materials configurations achieved Top Performer status in every reliability test. However, none of these modules simultaneously achieved Top Performer status in both reliability testing and PAN performance evaluations.
The latest results indicate encouraging improvements in several areas of module reliability. Post test power loss declined across multiple testing categories, with particularly notable reductions in Potential Induced Degradation and Ultraviolet Induced Degradation. Power losses following Mechanical Stress Sequence and Hail Stress Sequence testing remained minimal, while the proportion of bill of materials configurations recording less than 2% power loss increased in both Thermal Cycling and Damp Heat testing. PAN energy yield performance also continued to improve.
Despite these gains, concerns remain around long term reliability. The proportion of Top Performer bill of materials configurations declined in the Light Induced Degradation plus Light and Elevated Temperature Induced Degradation category, while overall PQP failure rates increased significantly.
According to the report, 87% of manufacturers experienced at least one PQP failure. Failure rates increased at both manufacturer and bill of materials levels. Module breakage during Mechanical Stress Sequence and Hail Stress Sequence testing remained the most common cause of failure. However, the industry also experienced a sharp rise in delamination related issues, with 45% of manufacturers recording at least one delamination failure during testing.
The findings underscore the solar industry’s continued progress in improving module performance while highlighting the growing importance of rigorous reliability testing as manufacturers scale deployment of next generation technologies
Search through Kiwa PVEL 2026 Top Performers by PQP Test, Manufacturer, Module Design, Cell Technology and more HERE
Author: Bryan Groenendaa
