Kiwa PVEL’s 2026 solar module reliability scorecard reveals high failure rates amid incremental increases in performance

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.

While overall energy yields continue to increase and modules from 43 manufacturers qualified as top performers on the current scorecard, this year’s testing revealed an increase in failures. 

Additionally, no single BOM earned the top performer designation on all tests, a first for the scorecard.

“Our 2026 Scorecard reflects a market that is advancing in performance while facing growing reliability pressures,” said Tristan Erion-Lorico, Kiwa PVEL vice president of sales and marketing, in a statement. “We’re seeing reductions in power loss for some tests and increased energy yields in our PAN testing. At the same time, failure rates, particularly delamination and mechanical breakage, have reached new highs. These results underscore that innovation and cost cutting measures must be matched with consistent quality and robust design to ensure long-term field reliability in an increasingly cost-conscious industry.”

Attend the pv magazine USA webinar

Join pv magazine USA editors Ryan Kennedy and Ben Zientara as they welcome Tristan Erion-Lorico for a discussion about the Kiwa PVEL 2026 PV Module Reliability Scorecard on Thursday, June 11, 2026. 

The session will focus on the most prevalent causes of module failure, including breakage, delamination, and UVID. Participants will review current performance trends across different technologies to identify industry-wide shifts and get answers to questions about the PQP test results.

Sign up to attend the webinar.

PQP testing details

New for 2026 is a test based on Ultraviolet Induced Degradation (UVID), a type of performance loss in solar modules caused by prolonged exposure to the high-energy ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of sunlight.

In addition to the UVID test, the PQP includes the following measures:

• Thermal Cycling (TC), which assesses a PV module’s ability to endure extreme and repeated temperature swings.
• Damp Heat (DH), which checks for moisture ingress and delamination during long-term exposure to high temperatures and high humidity conditions.
• Mechanical Stress Sequence (MSS), which tests the durability of a module’s glass, frames, and cells against heavy loads like snow and wind.
• Hail Stress Sequence (HSS), under which modules are subjected to simulated extreme hail impacts to test for glass breakage.
• Potential Induced Degradation (PID), which tests for power loss that can occur due to current leakage at high voltages between the cells and the module frame.
• Light [and Elevated Temperature] Induced Degradation (LID+LETID), which examines a module’s susceptibility to early-life power loss mechanisms triggered by sunlight and heat.
• PAN Performance (PAN), which measures module efficiency and energy yield under varying temperature, irradiance, and light angle conditions.

Failure rates

Kiwa PVEL reports that failure rates among modules submitted for testing have increased, with 26% of BOMs experiencing breakage during load testing and 45% of manufacturers experiencing at least one major delamination failure among submitted modules.

In all, 87% of manufacturers experienced at least one failure during testing. The highest rates of failures occurred during the thermal cycling, damp heat, mechanical stress sequence, and hail sequence tests.

The results mirror problems in the solar industry with spontaneous glass breakage and problems with soldering.

Kiwa PVEL’s PQP testing is ongoing, and new for this year, the lab will produce a mid-year update to the scorecard, releasing an updated edition in November, 2026.For more details about the test results, as well as information on top performers for all the tests, visit the official Kiwa PVEL Module Scorecard site, then bring any questions you have for Tristan to the webinar on June 11th.