9th PV Quality Roundtable: Stopping the blame game

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At Intersolar Europe 2018, held last month in Munich, Germany, pv magazine held its 9th Quality Roundtable. A range of experts were invited to discuss issues ranging from light induced degredation (LID) in passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) modules, to faulty backsheets and hail storm damages.

In the video below, Editor in Chief for pv magazine Deutschland, Michael Fuhs, speaks to Stephan Padlewski about the development of the quality debate. The Market & Program Leader at DuPont has been part of the quality debate for many years, and has witnessed some shifts in the discourse.

Furthermore, Padlewski goes into detail about testing routines and certificates, after the debate concluded that even faulty modules can pass quality standard tests. Reflecting on the active debate during the event, he engages with the backsheet quagmire and shares his insight on the topic.

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During the roundtable event itself, Eric Ast Head of Global Business Development at Stäubli highlighted the importance of quality components, and the need for their correct installation. He alledged that some installers fail to use the right tools and techniques, which later lead to quality issues at the plant.

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PV Guider CEO, Jay Lin also presented a case, where he and his team discovered LID in an installation just one month after commissioning. According to the expert, LID can be mitigated in PERC modules, but due to price pressure, the thoroughness required to prevent the effects entirely are often lacking.

Aside from the experts presenting cases and panelists engaging with the themes, the audience actively participated in the debate, thus making it truly interactive. Using an app, the audience had the chance to post comments on the screen, and have their quality questions answered by the experts.

You can read more about the event and download presentations and material here.

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