Insurance

It is extremely unlikely that a battery storage system will smoke, burn, or explode, despite a spate of recent reports. But what happens if something does go wrong? Do insurance companies pay out? Do premiums go up? How do insurers assess the issue?

It is estimated that 10 GW of solar modules in Germany suffer from prematurely aging backsheets, with sites of all sizes affected. pv magazine Germany’s Cornelia Lichner looks at how to detect and repair such defects.

Historic meteorological data is typically used to assess solar farm yield and secure project finance, but with climate change beginning to affect every aspect of society, past weather data may no longer be a reliable guide. Everoze Partner Nastasia Pacaut looks at how PV projects can be future-proofed in a changing climate.

The new test field includes laboratory and field measurements, allowing PV modules to be evaluated faster and more accurately by combining and comparing indoor laboratory measurement results with those from the test field. The new location complements existing Fraunhofer ISE testing sites on Gran Canaria and in the Negev desert in Israel.

New entrants to solar equipment procurement may be surprised to encounter constantly amended contract terms, index-linked price rises, and near-worthless defect warranties, but they reflect recent supply chain troubles. Clean Energy Associates’ Martin Deak offers a buyers guide.

Three years ago, Tesla said it expected to install 1,000 solar rooftop arrays per week, which would have amounted to 156,000 Solar Roofs in that time period. However, Wood Mackenzie reports that just 3,000 have been installed to date.

United Kingdom-based Above’s founder and CEO Will Hitchcock sits down with pv magazine to discuss the solar industry’s growing demand for drone-based aerial inspection and data analysis, the game changing utility of digital twins, and what the future holds for autonomous drone programs. 

kWh Analytics has started offering protection against physical damages to solar arrays and other renewable energy assets, in partnership with Aspen Insurance.

Panels being covered in volcanic ash can cause several problems – as has been seen recently with ongoing eruption in the Canary Islands. The weight of the ash may be too much for the structure to bear, sharp ash particles or small stones within the ash can scratch module glass, and acids or sulfur compounds contained in the ash can cause corrosion on the backsheet.

Courts have ruled both ways on whether the online retailing platform can be held liable for selling products that cause damage. The latest case involves a house fire in Minnesota.