What PV Lab Australia does

PV Lab Australia is an independent photovoltaic (PV) module testing laboratory headquartered in Mitchell, ACT, Canberra. Founded in 2013 by Dr. Michelle McCann and Lawrence McIntosh and originally housed at the Australian National University's Research School of Physics, it operates a single specialised lab equipped with AAA-rated sun simulators, electroluminescence (EL) imaging systems, wet and dry leakage current rigs, Potential Induced Degradation (PID) test rigs using the damp/heat method, EVA cross-linking testing, thermographic imaging, and static mechanical load testing equipment, with protocols aligned to IEC 61215-2 and IEC 60904. In May 2026 it became the first laboratory in Australia to receive ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from NATA for PV module testing.

The company sells four integrated offerings: fee-for-service laboratory testing (STC power performance, EL imaging, insulation/wet/dry leakage, PID, EVA cross-linking, visual and thermographic inspection); bespoke quality assurance consultancy covering production monitoring, shipment and goods receipt inspections, factory audits, sampling plans and construction supervision; integrated service packages such as Lot Acceptance Testing, Factory Audits, Construction and Operation monitoring, Express Packages (within seven business days) and Beginner's Workshops; and two branded products — PV Pass, a subscription quality assurance and risk evaluation program with A-to-E grading tiers for installers, retailers and importers, and Blue Reports, a database of independent laboratory-grade PV panel assessments. Services are delivered quote-based, with worldwide on-location consulting supplementing the Canberra laboratory.

PV Lab targets banks, investors and utility-scale project developers; domestic and commercial installers, retailers and importers; wholesalers and distributors; overseas PV manufacturers; and Australian industry bodies including the Clean Energy Council and Clean Energy Regulator. Go-to-market is executed through direct inbound enterprise sales (website Request-a-Quote, CEO and BD Manager phones/email), a self-serve PV Pass sign-up funnel, conference and earned-media thought leadership (PV Module Tech, PVRW, All Energy, ABC 7:30, pv magazine Australia, ecogeneration), and a recurring quarterly email newsletter. Funding to date has come exclusively from Australian government grants, notably ~AUD 220,000 from the ACT Renewable Energy Innovation Fund (2020) and an undisclosed amount from the Australia-Singapore Go-Green Co-Innovation Program (November 2025).

Name

PV Lab Australia

Legal name

PV Lab Australia

Website

https://pv-lab.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PV Lab Australia is an independent photovoltaic module testing laboratory headquartered in Canberra, ACT. It provides accredited quality assurance, performance verification, and risk evaluation services to banks, investors, project developers, installers, wholesalers, and manufacturers of solar PV modules.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar PV Module Testing & Quality Assurance

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Quality, Testing, Certification & Standards (Lab Testing, Inspections, Compliance) (EUAMABAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Solar Workforce, Training & Safety Services (Installer Training, Certification, EHS) (EUAMABAO)

Keywords

• Photovoltaic module testing
• Solar panel quality assurance
• PV module certification
• Solar energy consulting
• Renewable energy testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Canberra

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Laboratory testing services: Fee-for-service laboratory tests and measurements (STC power performance, electroluminescence imaging, insulation/wet/dry leakage, PID, EVA cross-linking, visual inspection, thermographic inspection). Suitable for quality control of solar parks and goods receipt inspection for wholesalers. Quote-based, project-scoped engagements.
2. Quality assurance consultancy packages: Tailored QA consulting packages covering production monitoring, shipment inspections, goods receipt inspections, material analyses, sampling plans, and construction/technical inspection supervision. Sold as bespoke engagements with on-location ("hands-on") advisory worldwide.
3. PV Pass membership program: Adaptable quality assurance and risk evaluation program for domestic and commercial installers, retailers, and importers. Membership delivers systematic periodic inspection, benchmarking, test reports, branding rights, and website promotion.
4. Service packages - Lot Acceptance Testing, Factory Audits, Construction & Operation monitoring: All-inclusive service packages combining reliability tests, factory audits, construction and operation monitoring, plus express packages for short-notice testing (within seven business days).
5. Beginner's Workshops and training: Workshops on quality assurance and risk reduction with duration and scope tailored to client needs; revenue from training delivery.
6. Blue Reports database access: Database product providing access to independent, third-party, laboratory-grade Solar PV panel assessments and test reports for solar panel buyers and installers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PV Lab Australia is an independent testing laboratory that performs accredited and IEC-standard quality assurance measurements on photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, including STC power performance, electroluminescence imaging, leakage, PID, EVA cross-linking, visual, and thermographic inspection. It complements testing with tailored consulting (production monitoring, shipment inspections, factory audits, construction supervision), the recurring PV Pass membership program, and the Blue Reports third-party solar PV quality database. The target customers are banks, investors, utility-scale developers, EPCs, wholesalers, installers, and manufacturers seeking independent risk reduction and bankability evidence for PV assets.

Product overview

PV Lab Australia operates as an integrated PV module testing and quality assurance laboratory rather than a multi-module SaaS platform. The core offering is Laboratory Testing Services (STC power measurement, electroluminescence imaging, insulation/leakage, PID, EVA cross-linking, visual and thermographic inspection), which feeds into three service tracks: Quality Assurance Consulting (production monitoring, shipment and goods-receipt inspections, material analyses, construction supervision), Service Packages (Lot Acceptance Testing, Factory Audits, Construction and Operation, Express Packages, Beginner's Workshops), and end-to-end Project Consulting for banks, investors and developers. Layered on top of these are two named sub-brands: PV Pass — a recurring quality assurance and risk evaluation program for retailers, installers and importers, underpinned by the standardised PV Pass Test and Grading Service (four IEC-aligned tests with defined A–E grading); and Blue Reports — an independent, third-party database of laboratory-grade solar PV panel assessments and test reports. The lab is headquartered in Canberra, Australia, and in May 2026 became the first Australian laboratory awarded ISO/IEC 17025 NATA accreditation for photovoltaic module testing under IEC 61215-2.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PV Pass: An adaptable quality assurance and risk evaluation program for Solar PV retailers, installers and importers serving domestic and commercial markets in Australia.
• Blue Reports

Products and services

• Laboratory Testing Services Suite of laboratory tests and measurements for solar PV modules covering module condition and day-one performance as well as indicators of long-term degradation and underperformance. Includes STC power performance via AAA-rated sun simulators, electroluminescence imaging, insulation/wet and dry leakage current tests, Potential Induced Degradation (PID) testing via the damp/heat method, EVA cross-linking tests, visual inspection (IEC 61215-2 MQT 01), and thermographic inspection. Targets quality control of solar parks and goods receipt inspection for wholesalers.
• Quality Assurance Consulting Consultancy services covering production monitoring, shipment inspections, goods receipt inspections, material analyses, sampling and laboratory tests, and construction/technical inspection supervision. Tailored to individual customer needs for risk reduction and quality assurance across the solar project lifecycle, with experts advising on location worldwide on a hands-on basis.
• Service Packages All-inclusive service bundles including Lot Acceptance Testing (per IEC 60410), Factory Audits, Construction and Operation monitoring, Express Packages (measurements within seven business days), and Beginner's Workshops on quality assurance and risk reduction.
• Project Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 3% increase in power delivery for PV products on day 1 from independent testing
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and historical.

• Circular PV AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration to find solutions in reusing "old" PV panels, supporting the development of a state-of-the-art overview report on PV panel re-use worldwide.
• Australian National University (ANU) - Research School of PhysicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020PV Lab was housed within ANU's Research School of Physics in its early years, providing PV Lab with lab infrastructure and ANU researchers (e.g., Dr Marco Ernst) with a commercialisation and testing partner. ANU also supported the move into a standalone facility enabled by the REIF grant.
• SERIS (Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore) at the National University of SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020Collaboration to realise Australia's first ISO/IEC 17025-accredited PV module testing laboratory. SERIS, one of the world's leading module testing facilities, brings valuable knowledge and know-how for the high-throughput, high-tech facility build-out.
• Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) - Stuart Butterworth, Jo Whitfield and teamsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 September 2020Partnership to enable education, training, and eventual employment of students and professionals in the ACT region, supporting talent pipelines for the growing PV Lab.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) - Peter Hacke's research group, ColoradosupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2018PV Lab visited NREL's Peter Hacke research group to learn the latest methods on Potential Induced Degradation (PID) testing, with the goal of bringing PID testing capabilities online in Australia in 2019.
• Clean Energy CouncilsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPV Lab works with the Clean Energy Council, the Australian peak body for the clean energy industry, which maintains lists of approved solar equipment and runs the All Energy conference where PV Lab presented at the Solar Energy Master Class.
• Clean Energy RegulatorsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPV Lab works with the Clean Energy Regulator in the Australian solar quality ecosystem, supporting the framework of approved solar equipment eligible for Small-scale Technology Certificates.
• Spark Solar AustraliahistoricalOthersMichelle McCann was previously CEO and one of the founders of Spark Solar Australia, an Australian company seed-funded by a group of German experts in the photovoltaic field with the mission of raising funds to establish a PV manufacturing company in Australia.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TÜV Rheinland: Global testing, inspection, and certification giant with a long-established PV module testing and certification business (including the former PI Berlin PV lab) operating across multiple continents. Directly comparable in service offering to PV Lab but at vastly larger scale and geographic reach.
• TÜV SÜD: International certification body with significant PV module testing and certification services under IEC standards. Comparable to PV Lab in core test methods and customer base (manufacturers, investors, developers), with a much broader global footprint.
• UL Solutions (UL LLC): Global safety science organization that performs PV module safety and performance testing and certification. Overlaps with PV Lab on IEC-aligned PV testing for module manufacturers and downstream buyers, but operates at much greater scale and across many adjacent product categories.
• Intertek: Major international testing, inspection, and certification firm with a renewable energy and solar PV testing practice. Competes with PV Lab in providing IEC 61215-aligned module testing and quality assurance services to manufacturers, developers, and investors.

Direct peers

• PI Berlin (now part of TÜV Rheinland): Was Europe's leading independent solar PV testing and consulting lab, integrated into TÜV Rheinland in 2023. Closest historical direct peer to PV Lab in terms of independent lab model, IEC-aligned testing scope, and developer/financier client base.
• CFV Solar Test Lab: US-based independent solar PV testing laboratory providing IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 testing, performance measurements, and reliability services. Directly comparable niche independent lab model to PV Lab in a different geography.
• SERIS (Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore): Singapore-based PV research and testing institute with one of the world's leading PV module testing facilities. Listed as a core strategic partner to PV Lab for the NATA accreditation build-out, and operates a directly comparable high-throughput PV testing capability.

Emerging players

• Sinovoltaics: Hong Kong-based solar PV quality assurance and technical advisory firm offering factory audits, shipment inspections, and yield assessments. Comparable to PV Lab's QA consulting and factory audit offerings for global PV supply chains, with a stronger Asia focus.

Others

• Fraunhofer ISE: Germany's leading applied solar energy research institute, with extensive PV module and cell testing, characterization, and certification capabilities. Comparable technical scope to PV Lab and connected to PV Lab leadership's history (University of Konstanz PV group), though operating primarily as a research institute.
• Clean Energy Council: Australian peak body for the clean energy industry that maintains lists of approved solar equipment and runs industry events (e.g., All Energy). Listed as a GTM/marketing partner to PV Lab and serves a comparable role in the Australian solar quality ecosystem as the institutional counterpart to PV Lab's lab services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PV Lab Australia