Assessing PV Module Quality Risks in South Africa: Performance Insights across Utility, Commercial and Industrial, and Residential Sectors

South Africa’s Solar Photovoltaic (PV) sector has expanded rapidly across utility, commercial and industrial (C&I), and residential markets, yet concerns about PV module quality remain. This paper presents insights from over a decade of accredited testing of PV modules across these sectors, highlighting how quality assurance (QA) practices shape performance outcomes. Utility-scale projects that applied QA frameworks consistently outperformed manufacturer specifications, with modules initially underspecified and remaining above warranty thresholds after ten years of operation. In the C&I sector, modules sourced directly from the market performed slightly below nameplate values but within measurement uncertainty, indicating variable reliability. In contrast, residential systems showed the highest risks with the focus on costs rather than quality. These results demonstrate that performance risks are not uniformly distributed across the market, and that sectors lacking QA are most exposed to underperformance and safety concerns. The findings support the principle that “the best module is the tested module” and make the case for extending QA practices beyond utility projects to safeguard investments, system yields, and consumer confidence across all PV market segments in South Africa.