Regional influence on module design quality: Qualification testing failure rate results from six regional labs of TUV rheinland around the world

Qualification testing of photovoltaic modules, according to IEC 61215 or IEC 61646 standard, is generally considered as a minimum requirement for reliability. Between 2011 and 2013, there was an immense price pressure on PV module manufacturers; this price pressure has steered many manufacturers to cutting corners with poor quality materials or introducing unqualified materials. These changes in the module design and materials could increase the warranty claim rate and shatter the traditional minimal recall history of PV modules. This paper analyzes the influence of these material changes on the crystalline silicon module design quality from two perspectives: (i) Design variation between regions; (ii) Design evolution over 16 years. The analysis presented in this paper is based on the test results obtained on several thousands of modules in the six regional labs of TUV Rheinland around the world.