Events

The numbers are still being tallied for the massed attendance of SPI 2016 in Las Vegas, but an informal consensus confirms that the show was a huge success for exhibitors, including a few more racking and tracking manufacturers we met with on the final day of the show.

Enphase Energy announced at SPI 2016 that it has begun canvassing its U.S. distributor network to gauge interest for mass orders of its AC Batteries, which were launched in Australia last month, resulting in 70,000 units being reserved for shipment by distributors over the next 12 months.

The well-attended Solar Power International 2016 show in Las Vegas this week has been the venue for a variety of new supply agreements, new projects and market endeavors. as well as strategic partnership announcements, along with the dazzling array of solar products. Among some of the new deals announced during the show are the following: […]

A host of new products and new generations of solar solutions are being introduced at Solar Power International 2016, being held this week in Las Vegas. While the list is very long, here are a few of the standout products:

IdeemaTec, the Wallerfing, Germany-based tracker manufacturer, announced at SPI that it has won new projects in Georgia and Tennessee following the opening of its first U.S. office in Charlotte, in July.

This week saw collaborations between nations and companies, some numbers on the U.S. energy storage market and progress in the carving up of SunEdison, as the solar industry prepares for the Solar Power International trade show.

Quality control campaign: PV panel manufacturers selling plug connectors as MC4 compatible is nothing unusual. Two operators who have installed such modules are now struggling with lost insurance coverage and fires.

Changing technology, pressure to cut costs, dizzying price slumps and a number of other issues make solar module quality control as relevant as ever. The danger that modules could fail outright remains slim, so module reliability is still decisive for the success of the investment, explains George Touloupas, Director of Technology and Quality at CEA, in preparation of the 4th pv magazine Quality roundtable at SPI.

Quality roundtable preparation: A case of compromised quality. An operator claims nearly 17% of the modules in his array displayed significant damage after three years. The EPC company concealed the damage from the investor until the warranty had expired. The module manufacturer responded slowly and only out of goodwill.

An installation company in the Midwest reports how blame was laid at their door for defective PV panels. The actual cause of the defects probably lie elsewhere.