Kiwa’s analysis finds higher quality risks at new PV module factories compared with established manufacturing facilities
New factories recorded around 10 times more critical audit findings and nearly twice as many major findings
Reliability tests show differences between factories and production batches, supporting the need for closer quality monitoring
New photovoltaic (PV) module factories face higher quality and reliability risks than established manufacturing facilities, according to testing and certification company Kiwa PI Berlin. In its white paper, From Startup to Stable: Guidance for Buying From New PV Factories, the company compared manufacturing quality at new and mature factories, focusing on factory audits, production oversight, and module reliability.
The analysis covered more than 60 PV manufacturing facilities. Kiwa classified factories operating for less than 24 months as new and those operating for longer as mature. Around 20% of new factories received a Poor audit rating, compared with just 1% of mature facilities. At the other end of the scale, nearly 60% of mature factories achieved Above Average or Excellent ratings, against about 17% of new factories.
The factory audits revealed an even larger difference in serious quality issues. New factories recorded around 10 times more critical findings and nearly twice as many major findings as mature facilities, while minor findings were about 30% higher. According to Kiwa, critical issues can pose safety risks, cause early module failures, or lead to significant performance losses. Many of these findings were related to certification, including missing approvals required for manufacturing.
A separate analysis of production oversight data from approximately 90 PV module factories worldwide over two years showed a similar trend. New factories had around 21% more quality findings per oversight shift. Major findings were about 40% more frequent, while critical findings occurred around 12 times as often. Documentation and record-keeping issues were roughly 3 times more frequent, and product quality concerns occurred about twice as often as at mature factories.
Manufacturing conditions can also affect module reliability. Kiwa compared modules from the same brand made at two factories using identical bills of materials (BOMs). After 1,000 hours of damp heat testing, modules from one factory showed no defects, while those from the other developed bubbles and delamination. The factories used different lamination equipment and process conditions.
UV exposure was another area where Kiwa found differences in module performance. The company examined ultraviolet-induced degradation (UVID), which measures power loss following exposure to UV radiation. While the initial qualification samples lost about 1.5% of their power, results from five production batches varied from 0.81% to 2.90%. This shows why testing a few modules during qualification may not be enough to assess the consistency of later production batches.
Based on these findings, Kiwa advises buyers to pay particular attention to new factories during their initial production period. Equipment calibration, material handling, and manufacturing processes need closer monitoring. The company also recommends checking factory-specific certifications and testing modules from the actual production lines. Smaller shipment batches and more frequent inspections can help identify issues before large quantities are delivered. These measures can be gradually reduced as factories demonstrate consistent production quality.