Looking back at the development of the photovoltaic industry, it has been common practice to use the nominal power under standard test conditions (STC) of 1000 W/m² irradiance as the core criterion for evaluating module performance. While this standard offers a convenient reference for comparing product parameters, it significantly deviates from the actual operating scenarios of PV power plants. It is essential to recognize that PV systems are designed for a lifespan of 25-30 years. Throughout this extended operational period, influenced by multiple factors such as geographical location, climatic conditions, seasonal changes, and the day-night cycle, modules are rarely consistently exposed to the ideal 1000 W/m² irradiance environment. Relevant industry data indicates that operating conditions at 800 W/m² and lower irradiance levels account for over 70% of a PV power plant’s entire lifecycle, representing the predominant real-world operating regime for PV projects.
Recently, the results of the SOLARBE TEST Awards for PV Module on Specific Performance Index (2025), jointly launched by Carbon Discovery, Solarbe, and Gsolar Test, were officially announced. A module from GCL System Integration Technology Co., Ltd. achieved a conversion efficiency of 23.43% under low-irradiance operating conditions of 800 W/m², demonstrating outstanding performance among 12 competing modules and successfully securing the award for Champion of PV Module Conversion Efficiency at 800W/m² Irradiance. This achievement not only showcases GCL System Integration’s formidable technical capabilities in the PV module sector but also, through actual product performance, validates the technical value of a real-world operating condition orientation, providing strong practical support for the industry’s reconsideration of performance evaluation standards.
The selection process for this SOLARBE TEST Awards precisely broke through the limitations of judging by a single standard irradiance metric. It focused on the core performance of modules under real-world application scenarios, setting a more practical and demand-aligned evaluation benchmark for the industry. As one of the key initiators of the competition, Solarbe has long been committed to promoting the optimization and upgrading of the PV industry’s evaluation system. The SOLARBE TEST Awards, which it helped establish, consistently adhere to real data as the core judging criterion, covering multiple evaluation factors including product quality, outdoor degradation, and actual power generation performance. It aims to guide the industry back to the essential value of products and focus on the actual benefits for end-users. GCL System Integration’s ability to stand out in this competition is attributed to its long-term, in-depth insight into the demands of real-world application scenarios and its dedicated technological R&D efforts. Leveraging its profound expertise in PV materials, cell structure design, and other related fields, GCL System Integration’s module products exhibit excellent light absorption efficiency and energy conversion efficiency under low-irradiance conditions. This enables more effective utilization of limited light resources, providing reliable assurance for enhancing the energy yield of power stations throughout their entire lifecycle.
A representative from GCL System Integration stated that this award represents the industry’s recognition of the company’s technological path and product value. GCL System Integration has always adhered to a product R&D philosophy guided by “real-world scenario demands,” deeply cultivating the clean energy sector and driving PV technology towards more practical application alignment and higher efficiency. In the future, the company will continue to prioritize technological innovation, persistently optimizing module performance under real and complex operating conditions to provide power investment enterprises with product solutions that offer greater revenue assurance.
Industry experts point out that as the PV industry enters a critical phase of high-quality development, the standards for evaluating module performance are undergoing profound changes. An industry consensus is becoming increasingly clear: the superiority of a PV module’s performance is never about competing on a single metric but must be proven in real-world application scenarios. The widespread acceptance of this understanding is not only crucial for the investment returns of PV power plants but also holds significant guiding importance for the direction of the entire industry’s technological upgrading.
The announcement of the competition results also provides important insights for product selection within the PV industry. As the sector advances into a stage of high-quality development, industry competition has shifted from a contest of single parameters to a contest of full lifecycle value. In their selection processes, power investment enterprises urgently need to move beyond the entrenched mindset of “nominal power supremacy” and pay more attention to the long-term performance of modules under real-world operating conditions. The selection philosophy of “focusing on real-world conditions, multi-dimensional performance assessment” championed by SOLARBE TEST is poised to promote the formation of a more scientific and comprehensive product evaluation system within the industry. This will guide companies to increase investment in R&D for technologies suited to complex operating conditions, thereby driving the entire PV industry towards higher efficiency, greater reliability, and enhanced value. This development will provide more robust support for the energy transition under the “Dual-Carbon” goals.
