In this webinar hosted by the American Solar Energy Society's PV Technical Division, CEA's Engineering Manager Claire Kearns-McCoy discusses solar PV module quality risks.
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CEA’s Vice President of Marketing, Jake Edie, recently wrote an article in Renewable Energy World about the most surprising findings in clean energy and what developers and buyers will be watching most closely as 2024 unfolds.
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After years of improving quality standards, solar cell cracking appears to be on the rise again, perhaps due to new manufacturers entering the sector. Clean Energy Associates’ (CEA) senior engineering manager Claire Kearns-McCoy considers ways to stop the rot.
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CEA's extensive field research unveils the hidden threats in solar PV modules, emphasizing the critical role of Electroluminescence (EL) testing in detecting unseen damages. Our findings highlight the lifecycle of module defects, the surge in microcracks, and the pivotal importance of visual inspections in identifying issues often missed by other methods.
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Cell cracking is a hidden performance issue in solar PV systems. The issue often goes unnoticed as it is challenging to detect and measure. In this post, we discuss the causes and consequences of cell cracking and propose potential solutions for addressing this critical problem.
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In this pv magazine Webinar, Claire Kearns-McCoy, Engineering Services Manager at CEA, takes us through the risks posed by undetected microcracks in a PV module, including how the problem can develop during the module lifecycle, and the challenges of proving the origin of a performance damaging crack in order for warranty or insurance claims to pay out.
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While performing PV module electroluminescence (EL) inspections in the field, a new type of microcrack associated with new module and cell technologies has been spotted. They are known as edge ribbon cracks, and have been seen to grow during shipping and installation. CEA’s Claire Kearns-McCoy and George Touloupas offer a closer look.
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pv magazine’s 2021 Roundtables USA event concluded yesterday after an informative and engaging two days of panels and sessions. Clean Energy Associates was proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the event.
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pv magazine Roundtables USA included this presentation by CEA’s Senior Project Manager/Solar Engineer, Claire Kearns-McCoy on the importance of using EL imaging to ensure PV module quality.
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Improper installation and handling procedures can result in significant PV module damage. The combination of EL and visual inspections can provide details about the origins and severity of module damage.
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As a participant in pv magazine’s Roudtables Europe 2021, CEA’s Director of Technology and Quality, George Touloupas, discusses what issues to the BoM new Large Format Modules pose.
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CEA today announced a partnership with 2DegreesKelvin, a UK-based engineering company specializing in solar asset assessments, testing, improvements, and optimization, continuing CEA’s rapid expansion of engineering services.
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The pv magazine test array in Xi’an, China, is being dismantled and upgraded this month. CEA has taken the opportunity to analyze three years of performance data, in addition to running modules from the array through another series of lab measurements.
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During the largest nighttime onsite EL imaging test ever conducted, CEA inspected 180,000 PV modules of a 56MW solar project and helped the O&M build a case for the manufacturer to replace over 5,000 defective modules.
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An EPC firm received 17 MW of PV modules from a manufacturer in Asia for install on a portfolio of solar projects in the United States. Inspections performed by CEA found that almost 20% of received modules had detrimental microcracks.
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Being able to see microcracks allows you to repair or replace those cells before the module is finished. Electroluminescent imaging can be used at any point during the process or during the life of a solar module.
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