Within the framework of PVPS, Task 13 aims at supporting market actors to improve the operation, the reliability, and the quality of PV components and systems. Operational data of PV systems in different climate zones compiled within the project will allow conclusions on the reliability and yield estimations. Furthermore, the qualification and lifetime characteristics of PV components and systems shall be analysed, and technological trends identified. Task 13 will continue to provide a unique and fundamental analysis of PV components and systems, including new applications such as floating PV, performance and reliability of PV systems in greater arctic and alpine regions, and the impact of soiling on PV power plants that affect the reliability and performance of PV systems in different environments during their lifetime.
In its fourth phase (2026–2029), IEA PVPS Task 13 focuses on PV technologies evolution driven by the introduction of new materials and innovative designs to the market.
For many of these emerging technologies, long-term field data remains limited, and their real-world performance under diverse climatic and operational conditions is not yet fully understood. Furthermore, the interaction between new materials, cell architectures, and module designs may lead to the emergence of previously unobserved degradation mechanisms and new types of failure modes. Such information on new technology —and how these new technologies interact with each other— is of great importance to investors, manufacturers, plant owners, EPCs and plant operators. These stakeholders are keenly interested in gaining more information about such technological innovations.
The digitalisation and robotisation of inspection activities in PV plants are becoming fundamental to ensure high system performance while maintaining O&M costs at competitive levels. This is particularly relevant for PV operators managing an ever-growing portfolio of plants, often reaching gigawatt scale. While modern monitoring systems are already capable of collecting high quality operational data, current analytical tools need to be further developed to effectively support O&M decision-making leveraging advanced data analytics and generative AI approaches. These advanced tools can support automated reporting, anomaly interpretation, predictive scenario analysis, decision-support systems, and the creation of digital twins, thereby enhancing fault diagnosis and accelerating corrective actions. Task 13 will focus on strengthening the reliability of photovoltaic systems through advanced digital O&M solutions. Key areas of work include data standardisation, ontology development, fast localization of faults and maintenance automation. This also includes studying advanced diagnostics combined with robotic solutions for continuous monitoring and targeted interventions. Furthermore, the development of automated O&M pipelines — combining structured data frameworks, machine learning, and generative AI— will be pursued to optimise the design, operation, and long-term management of PV plants.
The performance and durability of emerging PV applications are another current focus of Task 13. This includes delivering nearshore and offshore floating PV (F-PV) systems with accurate energy yield analysis, investigating the impact of F-PV on specific environmental parameters and looking for the optimised design for accelerated ageing tests for PV modules installed in FPV applications. For PV systems in Greater Arctic and Alpine regions, recommendations will be made to increase reliability and performance by collecting research results, real-world experiences and case studies of PV systems in greater arctic regions and at high altitudes. The aim is to minimise the risks of expanding PV in Greater Arctic and Alpine regions and to enable accurate performance forecasts. Additionally, Task 13 will quantify the impact of soiling on PV energy yield today and in future scenarios. The overall aim is to review and compare current monitoring technologies and models, identifying strengths, limitations and gaps between theory and application.
As PV systems mature and are increasingly integrated with energy storage, the need for robust lifetime management and asset optimization strategies becomes critical. Operators are increasingly faced with decisions on how to maintain, upgrade, or repower aging systems while ensuring safety, reliability, and long-term economic viability. Task 13 ‘s current work focuses on the system-level enablers that influence long-term PV performance, including battery energy storage systems (BESS) and repowering strategies. The Task 13 examines degradation mechanisms, operational challenges, and techno-economic trade-offs associated with these components, providing actionable insights to support data-driven asset management and investment decisions.
In 2025, Task 13 published 5 technical reports, and prepared & published 4 Fact Sheets, which can be downloaded from the PVPS website.
Task 13 organised 5 dedicated workshops & webinars on various topics with relevant stakeholders in 2025:
In addition to the workshops organized during Task meetings and events, Task 13 was represented in Conferences & Events with Task 13 focus contributions in 2025:
The current work programme (2026-2029) comprises 12 activities. A total of 66 Task 13 experts and 54 contributors from 55 organisations in 23 countries are participating in Task 13.
The overall objective of Task 13 is to provide a common platform to summarise and report on technical aspects affecting the quality, performance, and reliability of PV modules and systems in a wide variety of environments and applications.
Task 13 is subdivided into four topical Subtasks reflecting the objectives stated above. The fifth Subtask, dissemination of information and outreach, utilises the output of the three subtasks and disseminates the tailored deliverables produced in the three subtasks.
PV technologies are changing rapidly as new materials and designs are entering the market. These changes affect the performance, reliability, and lifetime characteristics of modules and systems. Such information about new technology and how these new technologies interact with each other is of great importance for investors, manufacturers, plant owners, and EPCs. These stakeholders are keenly interested in gaining more information about such technological innovations.
Subtask 2 focuses on developing standardized data structures and enhancing the semantic representation of photovoltaic (PV) systems. This includes reviewing existing taxonomies and transitioning to ontologies for PV plant design, performance, reliability, and end-of-life management. Additionally, it explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based tools can support failure localization processes and the corresponding corrective actions at both the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and contracting levels. The use of AI and advanced robotics solutions will be further investigated, with a focus on leveraging Generative AI in PV project development, as well as in operation and maintenance (O&M) activities. This includes studying advanced diagnostics combined with robotic solutions for continuous maintenance and inspection, as well as the development of automated O&M pipelines. Furthermore, this subtask will be expanded by investigating on methods for short-term Performance Loss Rate (PLR) estimation to enhance O&M decision-making and improve system health assessment.
Subtask 3 deals with performance and durability of emerging PV applications as well as with supporting technologies that enable and improve PV applications. Emerging applications that are in the focus of this subtask are the Integration of PV technology into the integration on water surfaces (ST3.1) and Performance and Reliability of High Latitude and High-Altitude PV (ST3.2). Activities on the Impact of Soiling of PV Systems (ST3.3) complete this subtask.
As photovoltaic systems mature and increasingly integrate with energy storage, the need for robust lifetime management and asset optimization strategies becomes critical. Operators are faced with decisions on how to maintain, upgrade, or repower aging systems while ensuring safety, reliability, and economic viability. Subtask 4 focuses on the system-level enablers that influence long-term PV performance, including battery energy storage systems (BESS) and repowering strategies. The work examines degradation mechanisms, operational challenges, and techno-economic trade-offs associated with these components, providing actionable insights to support data-driven asset management and investment decisions.
The quality of Task 13 reports and Task 13 workshops stems from the continued participation of highly motivated PV experts in the field. Like the development of long-term databases for degradation and performance analyses, the collaboration established in previous years will be beneficial to reach out to specific target audiences, e.g., webinar on relevant failure modes in PV applications for PV planning offices, PV testing equipment developers, testing companies, and workshop on digital twinning of PV power plants for asset managers, EPCs and O&M .
