For the sixth consecutive year, Trina Solar is proud to announce it has been recognized as a “Top Performer” among global PV module manufacturers.

This recognition for outstanding product reliability and performance comes following the release of the 2020 PV Module Reliability Scorecard issued by PV Evolution Labs (PVEL).

Yin Rongfang, vice general manager and executive vice president of Trina Solar, said: "It is encouraging to see Trina Solar being recognized as a Top Performer for the sixth time in a row by an authoritative third party such as PVEL. With more than 20 years of technical know-how, Trina Solar is committed to sustainability through the delivery of high power, highly efficient and top-performing modules with proven quality and reliability.”

What Does the PV Module Reliability Scorecard Rank?

PVEL, the leading independent lab for the global downstream solar industry, released the sixth edition of its PV Module Reliability Scorecard last week. This Scorecard ranks the performance of commercially available PV modules based on the PVEL Product Qualification Program (PQP).

PVEL technicians visited manufacturers’ factories within 18 months of 2020 to test and assess a variety of factors involved in module production and performance. These tests, and the models recognized as “Top Performers,” include:

• Thermal Cycling - This measures whether temperature changes that cause PV modules to expand and contract are likely to cause undue stress.
  • Trina Solar Module Model TSM-xxxPE14H / TSM-xxxPE05H
• Potential-Induced Degradation (PID) - This determines if the module’s internal PV electrical circuit is biased negatively in relation to the ground. If this happens, sodium ions on the glass may drift and enter the solar cell, damaging the anti-reflective coating on modules.
  • Trina Solar Module Model TSM-xxxPE14H / TSM-xxxPE05H
  • Trina Solar Module Model TSM-xxxPE14A / TSM-xxxPE05A
  • Trina Solar Module Model TSM-xxxDE14A(II) / TSM-xxxDE05A(II)
• PAN File Performance - This forecasts whether the system’s performance aligns with the energy yield predictions based on PVsyst, the industry’s standard modeling software.
  • Trina Solar Module Model TSM-xxxDE14A(II)

Any of these problems can potentially damage modules, leading to reduced energy yield, decreased system performance and even module or system failure. 

In each of these categories, Trina Solar met or surpassed the Scorecard’s standard, earning recognition as “Top Performer” for module performance and reliability.

Tristan Erion Lorico, head of PV Module Business at PVEL, said: “Consistent top performance in the PVEL PV Module Reliability Scorecard demonstrates a manufacturer’s commitment to product quality. As new products are introduced manufacturers must adhere to strict quality control standards to maintain high levels of reliability and performance of their products. We are honored to recognize Trina Solar as a Top Performer again and we look forward to testing future Trina products as the company continues to innovate.”

What Being a “Top Performer” Means

PVEL’s Scorecard rankings provide crucial insight for solar project stakeholders.

Now more than ever, solar developers, asset owners and investors are turning to more affordable and efficient modules. But, like any investment, there are risks to rapid technological evolution. The speed of innovation for current PV module technology means that developers and financiers need to ensure the quality and performance of these new features and components. To demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of these module innovations, PVEL continues to develop new testing methods while still maintaining the proven tests of previous years.

The PV Module Reliability Scorecard remains the most comprehensive publicly available comparison of module reliability test results across the industry. Further, to meet the rapid innovation of solar modules, PVEL raised the bar on certain tests for 2019 and 2020, making “Top Performer” recognition even tougher to obtain.

With this recognition as a “Top Performer,” Trina Solar leads the way in manufacturing reliable and high-quality modules. But the work isn’t done. Trina Solar remains committed to finding new ways to boost module efficiency, durability and reliability to continue increasing energy yields.

Rongfang added, "PV power represents a long-term, stable and sustainable solution. We look forward to becoming the supplier of choice for more prospective partners, providing them with highly reliable and ultra-high power modules, such as the Vertex module. These top-performing modules will continue to accelerate the adoption of PV power across the globe by further improving the balance-of-systems costs and levelized cost of electricity."

Contact us today if you’d like to learn more about what makes Trina Solar a “Top Performer” and what that means for solar developers and EPCs.