Key takeaways:
IV characterization tools serve as the final quality and performance checkpoint in module manufacturing
LED-based systems are increasingly used for production testing, while xenon remains important for reference-grade measurements
Emerging applications such as perovskite and tandem cells are driving new requirements in measurement methods and equipment design
IV characterization tools are stationed at the end of the module production line and function much like currency-counting machines. The aim of all the effort invested across the solar value chain is ultimately to deliver more watts. It is here that those watts are accurately measured and counted, verified, and translated into value, and this is the number the end customer ultimately pays for: money per watt.
While that’s a simple analogy, IV characterization tools are very sophisticated tools that shoulder the responsibility of simulating the sun artificially indoors, meeting several norms. Traditionally, the sun simulators were almost exclusively based on xenon lamps. Then LED-based light sources emerged as efficient and low-cost alternatives. Of the 3 companies that have provided inputs for the TaiyangNews Solar Module Production Equipment Market Survey, 2 are offering products based on both LED and xenon light sources, while one company exclusively focuses on LED.
LED systems offer smaller footprints and lower maintenance due to the absence of consumable lamps, making them attractive for inline production and certain laboratory use cases, according to Avalon’s Damien Etienne. On the other hand, xenon remains critical for reference-grade measurements, he adds. In the backdrop of Avalon – an LED follower – acquiring xenon expert Pasan, he emphasized that harmonizing these technologies under a common software and data workflow is a key development priority. The aim here is to improve the consistency and accuracy of PV measurement.
Perovskite characterization was also identified as an emerging focus, with the company already supplying steady-state systems and planning to introduce a low-cost desktop platform aimed at research users. This smaller system is positioned primarily as a market-entry tool, which allows customers to become familiar with Avalon-Pasan software and workflows before scaling to larger platforms. For perovskites, Etienne noted that hardware readiness is largely in place, but broader adoption depends on the industry reaching consensus on standardized measurement methodologies. In the same perovskite context, of perovskites, Avalon-Pasan has developed a thermal chamber capable of dissipating heat under steady-state illumination, a feature which is said to be essential for perovskite characterization.
Drawing on experience in space-solar applications, the company emphasized that measuring tandem and multi-junction structures is already well within its technical capabilities, particularly with LED systems that allow precise spectral control.
Beyond factory environments, Avalon-Pasan also sees growing demand for mobile laboratories and on-site power plant measurements. Such a solution is particularly useful in markets like India, where underperforming assets raise questions about responsibility across modules, inverters, and system design, according to Etienne. Indeed, such a system is offered by the company and is featured in our survey.
The text is an edited excerpt from TaiyangNews’ latest Market Survey on Solar Module Production Equipment 2026, which can be downloaded for free here.
