What criteria should you look for when purchasing a photovoltaic module?

Choosing a photovoltaic module is a crucial step to ensure the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of solar systems, especially in a market with a variety of options and specifications. Thiago Mingarelli, photovoltaic systems consultant at Amara-e, explained the main criteria that must be carefully analyzed when purchasing a module to ensure quality and performance.

“The first criterion we recommend checking when choosing a module is whether the equipment meets the industry’s certifications. Inmetro and IEC certifications are basic prerequisites for us to begin considering using the module in our system. This is the first point,” he said.

Furthermore, Mingarelli recommends searching the internet for reports from accredited companies that issue annual or periodic reports that attest to the quality of the company and the product. 

“In addition, we recommend looking for manufacturers that invest in research and development, that are always looking for module innovations, new technologies, improvements to the manufacturing process, and with this they are able to optimize and improve the efficiency of the product”, he added. 

“We are always looking for more efficient products to deliver the best cost-benefit ratio to the customer. We always talk about the issue of LCOE [levelized cost of energy] and looking for the most efficient product, which is generally not necessarily the cheapest,” he added.

Finally, Mingarelli highlighted that another very important point to be analyzed is the module’s temperature coefficients. “We found modules that are similar in STC (standard test conditions), but we know that in everyday use these modules will not work under these conditions, as the actual operating temperatures will vary greatly,” he reported.

“It is important that we analyze whether under these real operating conditions, different from those shown in the datasheet, this product will have satisfactory performance. To do this, we rely on the help of software such as PVSol, Solergo and PVsyst, in which we can perform a simulation, taking into account all the parameters, including the temperature variation with these coefficients, throughout the system's useful life”, he concluded.