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Black sheep

pv magazine LIVE video coverage of Solar Power International 2016

Our new videos from America’s largest solar trade show feature interviews with the CEOs of First Solar and SolarWorld Americas, as well as commentary from GTM Research and Sonnen.

When bypass diodes overheat

When PV panels develop brown discoloration, it is hardly cause for investors to celebrate. pv magazine has investigated a new case of inferior component quality, in its ongoing series, in which overheating bypass diodes have lead to backsheet discoloration on around half of the 4,000 modules installed at a PV array in Germany.

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.

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.

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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.

The warranty chain trap

Black sheep II: This case was more than just a headache for the installer – it cost him plenty of money and almost his entire company. After more than seven years of disputes with dealers, importers, lawyers and the end customer, he had to pay some EUR 175,000 out of his own pocket – even though he himself had not been accused of any installation errors.

A question of quality for European module manufacturers

In the run-up to the third pv magazine quality roundtable at Intersolar Europe, we report on a survey of European manufacturers about strategy and quality. The question is, what makes Made in Europe attractive to buyers looking for modules for a PV plant?

Overheating and incompatible plug connectors

Black sheep I: In a Bavarian solar farm, experts discovered overheated junction boxes after commissioning and, later, overheated plug connectors as well.

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Burnt out, incompatible connectors

Black sheep 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.

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