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Featured in Curtailment creeps – 07-08 – 2026

Buried junction box defects

Claire Kearns-McCoy and Michael Scott of Intertek CEA report a rise in junction box failures across utility-scale and rooftop solar sites – from performance-robbing solder defects to outright fires – and explain why the only reliable window to catch these problems closes as soon as the potting compound cures.
By
Claire Kearns-McCoy and Michael Scott
A junction box terminal with a partial solder joint was sufficient for the module to pass a flash test but will cause performance loss over a longer period. | Photo: Intertek CEA

Early signs of junction box (JB) failure are often subtle. It may be an infrared signature detected during a commissioning-stage drone flyover, or a technician noting cracking in the JB cover of an otherwise normal looking module. Left unaddressed, one failure may progress to a fire. This is a growing concern. Junction box failures now …

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