Working together: the pv magazine USA weekly news digest
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.
Edisun Microgrids Launches Solar Tracker for Rooftop C&I
Edisun Microgrids, based in Pasadena, has launched the first dual-axis solar tracker designed and built for the commercial and industrial flat rooftop solar market segment.
Third-Party Module Warranties Mitigate Risk
The trend toward more solar module manufacturers acquiring third-party warranty coverage for their products is helping to mitigate the long-term risk in a project and to make it more bankable, since the likelihood is that insurers will stay in business long after some module manufacturers.
Quality, now more than ever: An interview with Bill Gambogi and Bob Olsen of DuPont
As part of a focus on PV module and system quality in preparation for our Quality Roundtable at the Solar Power International Trade show in Las Vegas, pv magazine brings you an interview with DuPont Research Fellow Bill Gambogi and Director of Corporate Marketing Bob Olsen.
Burnt out, incompatible connectors
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.
Quality: Minor differences in yield percentage make the difference between good and bad investment
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.
Melting backsheets, broken cells, and hotspots
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.
Poor quality planning: Shifting the blame, passing the buck
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.
Residential Inverter Quality: An O&M Headache
Failures in residential solar systems can be the bane of an installer, who is often paid merely to install the system, not necessarily to back the various component warranties.
SunLink Launches TechTrack Distributed
SunLink has launched TechTrack Distributed, its distributed single-axis tracker, featuring dynamic design, site flexibility and total cost reduction.
