- PVEL has launched its own direct solar PV inverter tests without the need for manufacturers to participate
- Such tests can be conducted by PVEL through direct partnership with solar investors, developers and asset owners
- It added that the Crowd Power PQP will be at par with the traditional inverter PQP tests, which will continue to be available to manufacturers
Independent test lab for downstream solar and energy storage market, PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) has introduced a new business model wherein it is now conducting tests on commercially procured inverters directly, without the need for a manufacturer to participate.
It is now directly partnering with solar investors, developers and asset owners to test inverters through Crowd Power Product Qualification Program (PQP). Such tests match PVEL’s own traditional inverter PQP tests, which will continue to be available to manufacturers, it added.
Naming Ginlong Solis and Chint Power Systems as the companies that recently submitted their next-generation 250+ kWh inverters for testing, PVEL points out that a majority of inverter manufacturers do not opt for independent testing to improve their product quality and bankability benchmarking, beyond the standard certification standards.
The lab stated that all of its traditional inverter PQP and Inverter Crowd Power PQP tests will support datasheet validation for more accurate performance and revenue models, reliability evaluations for improved O&M cost and replacement rate forecast accuracy and safety assessments for reliable arc and ground fault detection in fielded systems.
PVEL’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Tara Doyle said the initial feedback from downstream customers has been ‘overwhelmingly positive’. The company’s Annual PV Module Reliability Scorecard is a much-awaited report as it tests various reliability factors for a number of brands available in the market (see PVEL’s 2021 PV Module Reliability Scorecard Out).
On October 19, 2021, TaiyangNews is organizing Inverters for Rooftop Solar Conference to discuss latest trends for residential and C&I PV inverters. Registration to the 1-day virtual conference is free and can be done here.
