IEA PVPS Task 13 focuses on strengthening international collaboration to enhance the reliability and performance of photovoltaic (PV) systems. The Task collects, analyses, and disseminates information on technical performance, degradation mechanisms, and failure modes, thereby providing a solid basis for system assessment and developing practical recommendations to improve long-term performance and durability. Switzerland has been part of Task 13 since the early 1990s, and since 2018 its participation has been coordinated through a consortium of Swiss R&D institutes and universities—SUPSI, CSEM, BFH, OST, and ZHAW. Switzerland’s continued engagement is motivated by the rapid global evolution of PV technologies, the emergence of new degradation modes, increasing repowering needs, and the strategic importance of ensuring high system reliability to meet national energy-transition targets. Active participation in Task 13 enables the Swiss PV industry to access state-of-the-art international know-how, mitigate technical and economic risks, and strengthen the competitiveness of Swiss module technologies, including specialised PV products for building integration or other non-standard products. At the same time, the growing incidence of hail damage and the rising number of ageing systems underline the urgency of harmonised diagnostic guidelines and data-driven O&M strategies. In the 2026–2029 phase, the Swiss consortium will lead two activities—ST1.1 on the reliability of new cell and module technologies, and ST4.2 on global repowering practices—while contributing broadly to other subtasks, including testing of integrated PV modules, digital and AI-based diagnostics, performance-loss analysis, alpine PV applications, and soiling studies. These contributions draw on a wide portfolio of national R&D projects, feeding into international technical reports, workshops, and best-practice guidelines.
