Solar Power World
By Kelly Pickerel | October 6, 2026
HelioVolta today published its fourth annual “SolarGrade PV Health Report,” assessing quality and workmanship across 1,500+ solar assets in the United States that were inspected by HelioVolta’s field engineers.
The report’s key findings include:
This year’s report is built on the revamped HelioVolta Quality Standard (HQS), a proprietary rubric that starts every project at 1,000 points and deducts points based on the number, severity and remediation status of quality issues documented by HelioVolta. Scores translate to an A through F letter-grade that the report ties directly to lifetime energy costs.
“Quality in solar is no longer a matter of opinion; it’s a number you can put in a contract,” commented David Penalva, co-founder and CEO of HelioVolta. “This year’s report proves that excellent workmanship is empirical, not subjective, and the projects from Onyx Renewables and Greenskies Clean Energy show exactly what quality looks like.”
“Our modeling reveals that the gap between an A-rated and an F-rated PV system can raise the levelized cost of energy by more than 20%,” noted James Nagel, co-founder and CTO of HelioVolta. “That’s the difference between a profitable asset and one stranded by expiring tax credits. Asset owners who tolerate aggressive EPC cost-cutting can no longer operate profitable portfolios.”
For the first time, the report also recognizes excellence through the inaugural HelioVolta Quality Standard Awards, honoring the two highest-scoring projects under 5 MW inspected in 2025:
Credit: HelioVolta
“Not all energy is delivered equal. Our customers need solar that is engineered, inspected, and validated to perform,” said Angie Daoud, COO of Onyx Renewables. “We build accountability into every step of how we develop, build, and care for our projects, and this independent award recognizes and confirms that this approach delivers.”
“This recognition from HelioVolta is meaningful because it independently validates the standards we work to uphold across our portfolio,” said Vijay Singh, CEO of Greenskies Clean Energy. “As a long-term owner and operator, we know the quality of how a project is built directly supports how it performs over time. That focus on disciplined execution and lasting performance guides every project we deliver.”
This year’s report also breaks down quality trends by PV system type. Canopy systems, which represent just 3% of all systems inspected by HelioVolta, have the lowest issue rates. HelioVolta has never found a critical issue in a canopy system, and just 59% contained major issues.
 
Kelly Pickerel has more than 15 years of experience reporting on the U.S. solar industry and is currently editor in chief of Solar Power World. Email Kelly.

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