Explore Insights from the Latest Energy Storage Technology and Cost Forecast (ESTAC) Report

Explore Insights from the Latest Solar Technology and Cost Forecast (STAC) Report

In collaboration with Exawatt/CRU, PVEL releases a quarterly Solar Technology and Cost (STAC) Forecast. The report offers module buyers forecasts for PV module efficiency, form...

Microcracking in PV Modules: Separating Fact from Fiction 

Join us for a free webinar on microcracking in PV modules. January 24 at 11am ET.

WEBINAR: Insights from PVEL and Exawatt’s STAC and ESTAC Reports

Join us for a free webinar on the Q4'23 STAC and ESTAC Reports! November 1st at 11am ET

Meet with the PVEL Team at RE+ 2023

Heading to the RE+ Conference this September? We’ll be there!   We’re looking forward to meeting with friends and colleagues throughout the event. Be sure...

WEBINAR: Inside the Q3’23 STAC Report

Join us for a free webinar on the Q2'23 STAC Report! July 12th at 11am ET

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL Names Record Number of Top Performing Solar Module Manufacturers in 2023 PV Module Reliability Scorecard

PVEL has released the 8th Edition of the PV Module Reliability Scorecard. The report names 122 product types from 25 manufacturers as Top Performers and celebrates technical advances in PV manufacturing despite challenging market conditions.

Blog: Technology and cost updates from the Q4 2022 STAC report 

Want a closer look at STAC? Join us for a webinar on February 6th, where we’ll cover more insights from the Q4 Report, including an...

Understanding Bankability for Solar Manufacturers 

For solar PV manufacturers looking to access new markets and be accepted by potential customers, it is critical that they submit their products to extended reliability testing

On the Horizon for Solar Testing in 2023

 A Review of Recent Trends and Developments from PVEL  As we enter a new year with fresh eyes towards the future, it’s worth looking a...

BLOG: Is Drone EL Right for my Project?

In 2022, PVEL and QE-Labs launched the first drone-based EL service in North America, allowing asset owners a faster and more comprehensive way to scan their sites for potential issues. The first-of-its-kind technology can revolutionize the way asset managers can conduct on-going operations and maintenance, as well as catastrophic storm response.

BLOG: Key Takeaways from the Q2 STAC Report

Volatility, disruptions, and uncertainty in the PV supply chain have become the norm during 2021 and early 2022, and these themes have continued unabated during Q2 2022. Here we take a brief look at some key takeaways from the ever-changing market that are covered in depth in PVEL’s and Exawatt’s Q2 2022 Solar Technology and Cost (STAC) report.

A Look Back at PV ModuleTech U.S. 2022

PVEL was thrilled to be the host partner for this year’s ModuleTech U.S. Edition with PV Tech. During the two-day event, hosted at our facility in Napa Valley, we heard compelling presentations from industry leaders and facilitated important discussions about module supply.

BLOG: PVEL and Exawatt Launch Battery Technology and Cost Forecast Report

Energy storage is playing a critical role in ensuring rapid decarbonization and fighting climate change. As a new era, dawns upon us, PVEL and Exawatt are excited to launch the Battery Technology and Cost Forecast report (BTAC).

BLOG: A Closer Look at PVEL and Exawatt’s Q1 STAC Report

The early months of 2022 have been filled with challenges and disruptions in many markets, and solar has been no exception. However, through the gloomy clouds there are rays of light on the horizon from a manufacturing and technology point of view. Here we take a brief look at the challenges and opportunities discussed in depth in PVEL’s and Exawatt’s Q1 2022 Solar Technology and Cost (STAC) report.  

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL Reveals Top Performing Manufacturers in 2022 PV Module Reliability Scorecard

PVEL has released the 8th Edition of the PV Module Reliability Scorecard. The report names 122 product types from 25 manufacturers as Top Performers and celebrates technical advances in PV manufacturing despite challenging market conditions.

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL and QE-Labs to offer exclusive drone EL inspection services to U.S. solar market

EL imaging is a powerful inspection method that can reveal defects and microcracks of solar cells inside a photovoltaic (PV) module. It is widely used as a tool for quality control in PV manufacturing.

BLOG: We Didn’t Start the Fire – the Story of Rapid Shutdown Devices

Rapid shutdown devices, or RSDs, are required in rooftop solar projects in the United States. Learn about the purpose of these devices and how they should be tested in this blog article by PVEL's Sishir Garemella.

BLOG: Forecasting Solar Technology and Costs: 3 Takeaways from 2021

Solar module prices increased in 2021. Should buyers expect this trend to continue? PVEL's Sishir Garemella and Exawatt's Alex Barrows share their takeaways from the latest Solar Technology and Cost Forecast, a quarterly report developed jointly by the teams at PVEL and Exawatt.

BLOG: My Internship at PVEL

Learn about intern Nick Price's experience at PVEL. His role included analyzing test data and supporting the development of dashboards that benchmark the performance and reliability of PV equipment.

BLOG: New Updates for Our PV Module Product Qualification Program

PVEL's revamped PV Module Product Qualification Program includes a new hail test and so much more. Read our blog to learn how our latest updates help project stakeholders mitigate technology risk in solar assets.

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL is Moving to Napa and Updating Our Module Test Program

PVEL is bringing hail to the PV Module Product Qualification Program (PQP) and preparing to move to a new headquarters in Napa, California that increases our testing capacity by 100%.

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL’s Crowdsourced Solar Inverter Testing

PVEL's first-of-its-kind crowdsourced test program for inverters puts testing decisions in the hands of buyers. Our announcement explains how this program differs from our standard PQP.

BLOG: As India Goes Green, Equipment Reliability is Critical

Learn from PVEL's Sishir Garemella and Jenya Meydbray about the importance of vetting the quality and reliability of PV and energy storage equipment for solar projects and EVs in India.

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL Publishes 2021 PV Module Reliability Scorecard

The 7th edition of PVEL's flagship Scorecard is now available online in a new interactive format. Read our announcement for an overview of this year's report.

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL Joins Kiwa Group

PVEL is now a member of the Kiwa Group of companies. Learn more about our new partnership with Kiwa and our plans for collaboration around the world.

BLOG: Ten Years of Testing at PVUSA

For more than a decade, PVEL has conducted field testing at the iconic PVUSA research facility for PV modules, power electronics, energy storage technologies. Learn about the site in this article.

ARTICLE: Datasheet or Datash*t?

Tara Doyle investigates the accuracy of the technical parameters on inverter datasheets in this article for Solar Builder. Explore how PVEL's testing can reveal whether or not a product will perform as specified in the field.

ARTICLE: Solar Tracker + Bifacial PV Module Production Yields

Charles W. Thurston covers the latest bifacial "boosts and boasts" in an article for Solar Builder. He touched base with PVEL CEO Jenya Meydbray on the challenges of optimizing bifacial systems cost-effectively.

ARTICLE: Looking into the Cracks

In this article for PV Magazine, Mark Hutchins highlights key findings from PVEL's white paper on microcrack susceptibility in PV modules.

BLOG: Meet Kevin Gibson, PVEL’s New President

We recently welcomed Kevin Gibson to PVEL as our new president. As PVEL’s first client when our operations began in 2010, he already knows our company well. His mandate is to drive the next phase of sustainable, long-term growth at PVEL.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Over 1 GW of Damaged Solar Assets Tested by PVEL in the Field

PVEL has now tested over 1 GW of damaged solar projects. Field EL imaging by our mobile response team supported the resolution of insurance claims for plants affected by incidents such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes and hailstorms.

ARTICLE: PVEL’s Jenya Meydbray Discusses Why PV Technology is Key to End-Market Success

PVEL CEO Jenya Meydbray speaks with Finlay Colville about the newest technologies under test in PVEL's PV Module Product Qualification Program (PQP) and shares his predictions of PV cell and module advancements in 2021 and beyond.

ARTICLE: The Cracks Are Showing

Mark Hutchins discusses mitigation of microcracks in PV module cells through PVEL’s mechanical stress testing with CEO Jenya Meydbray and head of PV module business Tristan Erion-Lorico.

ARTICLE: An Installer’s Guide to Full Solar Array Rapid Shutdown Devices on the Market

Kelsey Misbrener talks with PVEL's head of inverter and energy storage business Michael Mills-Price and CCO Tara Doyle about the role of rapid shutdown devices in rooftop projects and importance of fire safety.

ARTICLE: Wildfire Season is Here: What To Do If Your Project Gets Scorched

PVEL's Andrew Sundling covers the hidden impacts of wildfires on solar PV systems and how field EL imaging and IV curve tracing can help.

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL Opens New Inverter Test Center

Learn about PVEL's new inverter test center for Product Qualification Program testing at its recently renovated South San Francisco lab.

BLOG: Inverter Testing to Mitigate Revenue Risk in Solar Projects

Solar investors and developers should require rigorous technical due diligence for inverters – not just PV modules. Find out why from PVEL CCO Tara Doyle.

Black Lives Matter

We cannot remain silent and stay true to our organization’s values, the first of which is respect. It is time for every organization and every person to stand up and join the fight against racism. Black Lives Matter.

ARTICLE: Beyond Covid: How solar is tackling the pandemic

Seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, what is the state of the solar industry? PV Tech’s Liam Stoker and José Rojo report discuss the impact of the pandemic on upstream solar PV manufacturers with Jenya Meydbray.

ARTICLE: PVEL solar module scorecard: In a rush to innovate, some manufacturers ‘overlooked basic quality control’

PV Magazine USA’s Eric Wesoff discusses the implications of PVEL’s 2020 Module Reliability Scorecard, trends in module technology, and risks new and old. He highlights the need for more independent reliability data to balance rapid advancements in technology.

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL Publishes 2020 PV Module Reliability Scorecard

The 6th Edition of our PV Module Reliability Scorecard is now available. Read our press release announcing the report.

BLOG: PV Procurement and Construction in a COVID-19 World: PVEL’s Panic-Free Approach

Tara Doyle, PVEL CCO, discusses the impact of COVID-19 on PV module procurement and solar project construction along with PVEL's best practices for risk mitigation.

BLOG: Filling the Insurance and Warranty Gap: A Few Things to Know About PV PlantProtect

PVEL's Andrew Sundling explains how the PV PlantProtect insurance program helps utility-scale solar developers and investors fill gaps in traditional policies and manufacturer warranties that expose them to revenue risk.

ARTICLE: Protecting (and insuring) against PV portfolio underperformance

Chris Crowell goes deep with PVEL CEO Jenya Meydbray on the PV PlantProtect program’s suite of technical due diligence services, and how they can reduce the risk profile of large-scale solar projects and protect against plant underperformance.

ARTICLE: PVEL adds energy storage to suite of qualification programs

Andy Colthorpe covers PVEL’s Product Qualification Program for energy storage and explains the role of the battery management system in PV systems – noting that it is “the unsung hero technology suite of the battery storage revolution.”

BLOG: PVEL’s Energy Storage Product Qualification Program and Why It Matters

PVEL’s storage and inverter guru Michael Mills-Price discusses our Storage PQP and how it provides independent, consistent cell- and system-level reliability and performance data to support implementation of an effective supplier management process.

BLOG: Happy Birthday to Us: A Look Back at PVEL’s First 10 Years

CEO Jenya Meydbray reflects on PVEL's first 10 years, transforming how solar technology is evaluated and financed through its premier bankability testing.

ARTICLE: Solar’s silent killer: Backsheets are shortening some project lifespans Solar Power World

PVEL CCO Tara Doyle joins several industry experts on the issue of PV module backsheet failures. She emphasizes the importance of doing deep diligence on the bills of materials as well as rigorously testing the modules to ensure quality.

ANNOUNCEMENT: New PV PlantProtect Insurance Program

PVEL, Ariel Re and Beecher Carlson are joining forces to reduce solar project financial risk with PV PlantProtect. Read our press release to learn how you to guarantee revenues by following technical best practices.

BLOG: Field EL Testing of PV Modules: Benefits for Asset Owners

Find out why field EL testing is an O&M strategy that pays for itself when it helps PV asset owners and operators fully document damage to projects for insurance claims.

VIDEO: PV ModuleTech 2019: PVEL’s Jenya Meydbray

An interview with PVEL CEO Jenya Meydbray at the PVModuleTech 2019 conference, where the discussion ranged from bifacial PV technology adoption to what constitutes bankability in today’s module manufacturing sector.

BLOG: Manufacturing PV Modules in the Carpet Capital of the World

American PV module manufacturing is experiencing a renaissance as U.S.-based companies ramp up domestic production and international companies establish local factories. Although the end of...

BLOG: Quality and reliability at the biggest solar industry trade event in North America

PVEL took its message of quality and reliability to Solar Power International 2019. Get the perspective of PVEL CCO Tara Doyle on this year's conference.

ANNOUNCEMENT: New Incident Response Service

We launched our new Incident Response testing service with Heliolytics to help solar asset owners minimize the impact of force majeure events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, fires and earthquakes.

BLOG: Our Updated PV Module Product Qualification Program

Our updated PV module Product Qualification Program includes new tests for backsheet durability, LeTID sensitivity and many more advancements. Get the highlights in our blog.

ARTICLE: Burn before you build: Destructive battery testing

Destructive battery testing can help solar project developers design safer solar-plus-storage projects. The test results can also guide first responders when incidents arise.

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL Publishes 2019 PV Module Reliability Scorecard

The 5th Edition of our PV Module Reliability Scorecard is now available. Read our press release announcing the report.

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL Publishes First Inverter Scorecard

Read our press release to explore the key findings in our first PV Inverter Scorecard and learn about our motivations for the report.

BLOG: Country of Origin, Quality and Jinko’s New Factory

PVEL CCO Tara Doyle visited JinkoSolar's new factory in Florida for its opening ceremony. Learn about Tara's experience and get her thoughts on the relationship between country of origin and PV module reliability.

PODCAST: Meet Tara Doyle, PVEL’s Secret Weapon

Listen to PVEL CCO Tara Doyle on the Suncast podcast to get inspired by her 15-year journey to the solar C-Suite and hear her perspective on workplace diversity.

ARTICLE: Life of the third party

This story from Chris Crowell in SolarBuilder explains why “project-level due diligence is the BOM” and highlights important best practices in solar PV equipment procurement.

ARTICLE: PVCellTech Talk – A Q&A with Jenya Meydbray

Find out about the latest developments in PV cell technology in this Q&A featuring PVEL CEO Jenya Meydbray.

ARTICLE: Bifacial adoption and uncertainty – A call to action

Read an opinion piece in PV Magazine by PVEL CEO Jenya Meydbray on ways to drive adoption of bifacial PV modules.

PODCAST: PVEL CEO Talks About Future of Solar Modules and How To Buy Quality

Listen to PVEL CEO Jenya Meydbray discuss the early days of PV testing and the quality issues that buyers face today.

ARTICLE: PV Evolution Labs Splits from DNV GL

Read an article on PVEL’s relaunch and research on bifacial modules from Emma Foehringer Merchant of Greentech Media.

ANNOUNCEMENT: PVEL Relaunches from DNV GL

Read our press release to learn more about PVEL’s relaunch from DNV GL and our management team's plans for 2019 and beyond.

ARTICLE: PVEL Spins Off on Its Own

Read an article on PVEL’s spin off from DNV GL from Chris Crowell of Solar Builder.

ARTICLE: Hurdles to Bifacial PV Adoption

Read this article from PVEL CEO Jenya Meydbray to familiarize yourself with the technical and commercial roadblocks that are slowing adoption of bifacial technology.

PODCAST: The Founder Story

Listen to Nico Johnson of Suncast interview our CEO, Jenya Meydbray, about his experience founding PV Evolution Labs.