Thermal runaway at the cell level can typically be mitigated. The big risk is thermal runaway that cascades from a single cell to an adjacent cell. This risks consuming a battery module and spreading from battery module to battery module.
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As the supply chain for lithium ion-based energy storage becomes more complex and diversifies away from the traditional manufacturers, the need for quality assurance to ensure investment confidence is on the rise.
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With PV modules being sold today with longer warranties than ever before the PV installer community should feel safe in offering their customers assurances that the products will stand the test of time. However, when modules underperform or fail, making claims on those warranties is rarely straightforward.
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CEA’s latest energy storage system (ESS) supplier market intelligence report finds the energy storage industry on track for annual growth despite COVID-19, and rapid growth over the next five years as new partnerships and technologies ramp up.
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The latest ESS Supplier Market Intelligence Report finds global lithium-ion battery cell production capacity on track to exceed 770 GWh by the end of the year, with year-on-year growth despite COVID-19.
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The rooftops of big-box retailers remain an emerging market for PV solar. However, if these new electrical systems are not managed and/or installed correctly, they can result in de-energized systems catching fire.
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With the PV market still feeling the effects of recent polysilicon production disruptions, the PV Supplier Market Intelligence report takes a closer look at available supply and its implications for 2021.
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As battery energy storage technologies assume a bigger role in the global transition to renewable energy, the importance of developing and operating a safe system is paramount. This webinar looks at current safety trends and U.S. safety standards.
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Unless Congress and the administration intercede, the current 26% solar investment tax credit (ITC) will step down to 22% on January 1, 2021, potentially adding millions of dollars in expenses that would otherwise be nonexistent.
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The latest PV Supplier Market Intelligence report examines the emergence and broader acceptance of higher power modules (some even breaking 600 W) and the impact of BOS and fixed cost per module savings.
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To capture 26% credit, your solar projects must either be placed in service by the end of 2020 or satisfy the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) safe harbor provisions such as the broadly termed “continuous construction” and the “5% rule.”
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Disruptions in polysilicon supply this summer, as well as demand for solar PV during the ongoing pandemic, have added a new source of supply risk to project finance and construction that can lead to price risk and make projects unviable.
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In recent months, the solar industry has experienced several polysilicon price shocks following supply disruptions. While production is expected only to be temporarily offline, this latest development will only raise the price hike potential for polysilicon.
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It's important to avoid having microcracks in the first place by having really good control over all of the different sources of microcracks along the line from the moment you slice a wafer, to the moment you install a module.
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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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The economic impact of having a fire is enormous. The economic impact of cracking glass can be significant. And even the economic impact of losing one 75th of your circuit can be a very significant in terms of your bottom line.
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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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In this episode of Solar Maverick, Benoy talks with Andy Klump of Clean Energy Associates about how the rising demand for solar power has also created a rising need for greater quality assurance within the solar industry.
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One of the most critical steps to get exactly right when manufacturing solar modules is the solar cell to solar cell interconnection, where you're soldering electrical connections and mechanical wires between cells.
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Microcracks can cause a large area of an individual cell to be isolated from the cell circuit, causing reverse bias. Once a cell gets too hot from reverse bias, it can cause fires, catastrophic failure, and permanent damage.
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