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.
NEXTracker acquires predictive modeling software firm BrightBox
U.S. tracker manufacturer NEXTracker has purchased software firm BrightBox Technologies in a move it says will augment its predictive modeling capabilities and expedite the commissioning process.
GCL-Poly agrees to buy $150 million of SunEdison’s manufacturing business
The Chinese polysilicon and PV maker will buy three of SunEdison’s manufacturing businesses involved in polysilicon production up until cell production, amid rumors that it is also planning to make a bid for SunEdison’s controlling stake in TerraForm Power.
SolarWorld lodges an appeal against court judgment in Hemlock dispute
A revision request has now been received by the appropriate court in Michigan. SolarWorld has meanwhile filled further protective letters against Hemlock to various courts in Germany, as a precaution to prevent possible enforcement of any penalty in Germany. SolarWorld CEO Frank Asbeck is confident that the U.S. silicon manufacturer will not receive recognition of any judgements in German courts.
Fronius opens new R&D center in U.S. with eye on Tesla partnership support
The Austrian inverter specialist opens sales, product management and R&D center in San Francisco to better serve U.S. markets and commitments. Partnership with Tesla expected to be strengthened.
Canadian Solar beats shipment and revenue guidance for Q2
The Chinese-Canadian solar firm shipped 1,290 MW of modules and posted net revenue of $805.9 million in the second quarter, with nearly half of its sales to the Americas.
