The long-term performance of your solar panels depends on many factors. One of the most devastating causes of PV underperformance is also invisible to the naked eye: microcracks within the silicon cells that make up your solar modules.
Microcracks are a type of defect that cannot be detected with visual inspection alone. Microcracks are cracks in the silicon wafers formed due to damage at any stage. In many cases these cracks are not immediately apparent through common testing methods like I-V curve tracing and Infrared (IR) scanning but have the potential to develop into a loss of active cell area and reduce the output of the entire string containing a defective module. Over time microcracks can lead to diode activation or hot spots that represent a safety risk.
Quality control during solar panel manufacturing can identify and resolve microcracks before they are shipped, but after the modules leave the production line. Identifying the cause of new damage – either during shipping or from poor installation practices – can be the difference between a successful manufacturer warranty claim, workmanship claim, or absorbing the costs yourself.
Electroluminescence (EL) Testing identifies microcracks in your modules and can help in identifying the root cause