PHOTO VOLTAIC TIER -1 SOLAR PANELS ?
There Is No Such Thing As A TIER - 1 Solar Panel. It Is The First Point Which Must Be Established. This Is The Most Misused Term In The Solar Industry. If You Like The Term TIER 1, Glossy Datasheets Promising The World With Unproven Warranties, Stop Reading Because TIER 1 Solar Panels DO NOT EXIST. As Anyone With Respectable Knowledge In The Industry [NOT A SALES PERSON], Will Tell You The Same.
TIER 1 In A Nutshell :
* Only TIER 1 Solar Panel Manufacturers Exist.
* TIER 1 Is A Term Created By Bloomberg With No Criteria Of Quality In The Selection Process.
* Bloomberg Does Not Audit The Manufacturing Facilities Or The Product. It Is Purely On A Financial Basis. Therefore, The TIER - 1 List Of Solar Panel Manufacturers Changes Every Quarter.
* TIER - 1 Is A Label Which Will Not Stay With The Product For Life As It Is Not A Quality Guideline And Bloomberg Is Not A Testing Institute.
* Random Audits On Dubbed TIER 1 Solar Panel Brands Found Cases Of Inadequate Production Against The Nameplate Value When Subjected To Standard Test Conditions Straight Out Of The Box.
* TIER - 1 Solar Manufacturers rated By Volume Have Greater Products.
Simple Proof That TIER - 1 Is No Gauge For Quality. The Fact Is, TIER - 1 Is A Term Low End Market Sellers Exploit To Give The Buyers A Feeling Of [False] Confidence Without The Full Story. In Most Instances, Beneath The Surface Is An Underperforming Electrical Mess, Despite The Bankability Of A Certain Manufacturer In A Nominated Quarter. Industry Experts Suggests " Be The Savvy Shopper " And Always Seek BEYOND TIER - 1. Exposed Are The Avoidable Results Of Inferior Product Selection.
1. MICRO - CRACKS :
Micro-Cracks Are Stress /Pressure Induced Cracks In The Silicon Solar Cells Of Solar Panels. These Cracks Can Be Seen Only With Different Testing Methods And Not By The Naked Eye. Micro-Cracks Are One Of The Main Reasons For Solar Panel Malfunctions And Inactive Cells In Solar Modules. Some Of The Causes For These Cracks Are :
* Panels Not Being Handled With Care During Installation.
* If The Panels Are Not Handled With Proper Care During Transportation.
* During The Assembly
* Heat Effects [ If The Module Cannot Handle The Climatic Heat].
* Low Quality Silicon Cells.
Although Micro-Cracks cover only A Small Percentage Of The Silicon Cell's Surface, They Can Cause Great Degradation In Efficiency Of The Cell. In A Study Using Dark Lock - In Thermography, It Was Shown That The Micro-Cracks In The Cell Caused The Local Temperature To Rise, Even Though The Cracks Were Inactive Sections Of The Silicon Cell. These Cracks Inside The Panel Can Lead To Many Malfunctions Including Glass Cracks, Dead Cells, De-lamination And A Local Temperature Rise Which Can Cause Hot Spots.
There Are Rumours That Say That All Panels Have Micro-Cracks, But Manufacturers Such As AXITEC Energy Solar, Test Their Modules Using A High Resolution Diagnostic Tool To Bring These Defects To Light & Reject Them.
There Are Two Solutions To Micro-Cracks -- Number One Is Quality -- Look For A Product That Has Undergone All The Required Testing That Fulfills The Requirements To Endure The Rapidly Changing Climatic Conditions. Number Two Is Professional Installers -- Ensure That The Installers Have CEC Accreditation At A Minimum And Are In-House So That You Are Always Covered With No "Passing The Buck".
2. HOT - SPOTS :
Hot-Spots Are Localised Temperature Rises Within The Solar Panel Causing Devastating Effects To The Efficiency And Degradation Of A Solar Module. If You See These On Your Solar Panel, Get In Touch With Your Installer Immediately. Hot-Spots Are Not Stable And Will Eventually Cause Catastrophic Failure. A Few Reasons Why These Occur Are :
* Silicon Cell Damage [eg.Micro-Cracks, Handling Without Care,etc.].
* Major Cause Is Due To The Usage Of Extremely Inferior Quality Raw Material.
* Weather/Climate/Shadow.
Hot-spots Are Not Something To Be Taken Lightly And Brushed To The Back Of Your Mind. These Need To Be Taken Care Of ASAP Because Of The Continuous Irreparable Damage Being Caused. India Is Famous For being The Dumping Ground For Inferior Quality Solar Cells/Panels, Often Wrongly Labelled As " TIER - 1". Oftentimes, A Large Number Of Companies Would Install Second Hand, Second Quality And Used Solar Modules, Just To Compete On Prices. Ofcourse One Could And Should Very Easily Infer That The Committed Warranties Would Be Valid If And ONLY IF Those Companies Are Around And Alive To Heed To Your Complaints.
There Are Ways To Combat Hot-Spots Caused By The Environment -- Cleaning Your Solar Panels Regularly, Preferably At Dawn [Just Before Sunrise], Before The Glass Could Heat Up And Hence Crack During The Cleaning Process. All That Is Needed For This Is Simple Water, As Using Other Cleaning Products Would Leave An Invisible Layer Over The Glass, Thereby Reducing The Power Producing Efficiency Of The Module.
Another Way To Ensure That Your Panels Do Not Have This Problem Of Hot-Spots Is To Do Some Research [Being A Once In A Lifetime Investment] And Then Invest In A Company Like AXITEC Energy Solar, Who Manufacture Their Panels From Scratch, Minutely Testing At Different Stages Of The Process Starting From Selecting The Raw Materials. Look For The Data Sheet At The Back Of The Panel. If There Is No Data Sheet, Confirm Whether The Panel Has Been Tested [Although On A Number Of Occasions It Has Been Proven That Companies Get The Data Sheets Printed In Bulk And Use Them As And When Required]
3. FIRE :
Probably The Most Frightening Thing You Could Think Of To Happen To Your Solar Panels, Especially Being Installed On The Roof Of A Family Home And Your Family Staying Below Is A Fire. Although Fires Are Not As Common As Micro-Cracks, But They Do Occur. Fires Are Majorly Caused By :
* Poor Quality Material Used In Manufacturing.
* Production Faults [No Testing At Different Stages Of Manufacturing].
* Faulty Installation Without Technically Sound And Proper Earthing Of The AC And DC Side Including Earthing Of The Inverter, Structure And Panels. An Appropriate And Effective Lightening Arrester, Installed At A Height Of A Few Feet Higher Than The Highest Portion Of The Installation Is Extremely Essential. All Of These Should Be Connected Via A 60 sq mm Aluminium Strip [Aluminium Is A Conductor Which Is 5 Times Better Than Galvanised Iron]/Copper wire of specific guage. Ofcourse Lightening May Never Strike, But If And When It Does Even For A Few Micro Seconds At A Billion Volts Of Electricity, You Should Be Well Prepared To Save Your Solar Power Generation System AND YOUR HOUSE.
4. DELAMINATION :
Delamination Is When The Plastic Backing Of A Solar Panel Is Separated From The Glass And Is An Extremely Common Issue When Low Quality Plastics Are Used. As And When This Happens, Water Can Seep Into The Panel Enclosure And Cause Extreme Damage. Common Causes Of Delamination Are :
* Low Quality Plastics.
* Manufacturing Issues i.e. If The Plastic Is Not Completely Melted Before Pasting On To The Glass Or If The Glass Is Improperly Cleaned Before Application.
* Hotspots.
* Micro-Cracks.
Delamination Is A Serious Issue As It Allows Moisture To Penetrate The Solar Panel Which Shall Cause Catastrophic Failure, Requiring Replacement. Even The So-Called "TIER - 1" Panels Are No Stranger To This Problem, Being Manufactured With Low Quality Materials [Just To Increase Profit], Causing People To Lose Faith In This Wonderful, Clean, Permanent And Cheap System Of Power Generation Through Solar Energy.
5. SHATTER :
The Durability Of A Solar Panel Is Extremely Important. Most Of The Panels Are Not Tested Under Harsh Enough Conditions And One Little Accident Could End Up With You Paying For A New Panel. Shattering Is Mainly Caused By :
* Thermal Shock.
* Hail Storm.
* Physical Impact.
The Surprising Fact Is That Many Companies Use Cheap Quality Glass And At Times Even Going To The Extent Of Using Non-Tempered Glass [Again For Extra Profit].
6. INGRESS :
Ingress Is When Water Penetrates The Panel, Thereby Increasing The Degradation Of The Panel And Eventually Leading To Catastrophic Failure Of The Panel. The Causes For Ingress Are :
* Delamination.
* Poor Panel Assembly.
* Low Quality Materials.
7. DEFORMATION :
Deformation In A Solar Panel Traditionally Occurs In The Centre Of CSub-Standard Material Used To Manufacture The Panel. The Weather/Climate Conditions Shall Degrade This Panel Further, Causing It To Lose All Aesthetics And If Not Replaced, Affect The Overall Value. Point To Be Further Noted Is That If Deformation Occurs In Even A Single Panel In The Array, It Shall Affect The Other Panels Too, Sooner Or Later.
8. DISCOLOURATION :
Discolouration Will Make A Panel Appear A Yellow/Brown Colour. This Is A Chemical Reaction Between The Materials And Will Appear Within The First Few Years Of Sunlight Exposure.This Comes Down To Lack Of Testing As Well As Product Quality To Ensure That The Materials Used Are Compatible For Such Use. The Effect Of These Chemical Reactions On The Efficiency Of The Panels Are Not Yet Known, Ofcourse Apart From A Horrible External Appearance.
9. DRASTIC DROP OF POWER PRODUCTION :
The Major Reason/Cause Of The Drastic Reduction In Energy Output After A Few Years, Is ‘DUST’ & ‘HUMIDITY’ From The Atmosphere, Which Contaminates The Silicon Cells During The Sealing As Well As Manual Handling Of The Panels In The Manufacturing Stage.
SOLAR INVERTER ?
HOMEOWNER EDITION - 5 KW To 20 KW INVERTERS.
Baffled By Choices ? Its Especially Tough When Comparing Quality Against Cost. Below Are The 3 Best Solar Inverters Of 2020, As Selected By The PSW Technical Team, Considering :
Discover Which Of The 3 Best Solar Inverters Of 2018 Will Best Suit Your Particular Scenario. The Right Solar Inverter Selection Is Pivotal, Need To Know Information Before Committing To Solar Of Any Kind. After All, It Defines How Your Power Will Be Delivered And Utilised.
1st. SMA :
As The Worlds Largest And Longest Serving Solar Inverter Manufacturer, SMA Continues To Build Reliable Solar Inverter Hardware. The SMA For Three Phase Applications, 2018 Is Almost Certain To Become The Year Of The Optimised Solar Panel If 2017 Wasn't That Already. Considering SMA Recently Acquired a Large Stake In Tigo Energy, An SMA System Owner Can Integrate Tigo Monitoring Capabilities Through SMA, Arguably One Of The Best Solar Inverter Supplied Monitoring Softwares Available.
Inverters Of All SMA And Its Subsidiaries Are Designed And Made According To The German Quality Standard Irrelevant Of The Assembly Location.
2nd. FRONIUS
3rd. HUAWEI
4th. ENPHASE [Runner-Up]
ADVICE TO THINK ABOUT, REMEMBER AND FOLLOW BEFORE A "ONCE IN A LIFE-TIME" INVESTMENT OF SUCH A HUGE SUM OF HARD EARNED MONEY :
You Have Seen The Marketing With The Words
* TIER-1 Solar Panels,
* High Efficiency,
* 25 Years Warranty,
Which Means Nothing Of Value To The Savvy Shopper.
Any Solar Company Stressing And Harping On These Features Is Playing On Your Lack Of Knowledge And Actually Has No Real Positives About The Product In A Modern Sense.
Reading Between The Lines, The Facts Should Be Interpreted As * Cheap,
* Outdated-Technology,
* Prone To Critical Failures,
*Worthless Warranties
When The Product Fails Beyond 5 -Years - By Which Time The Company Is Nowhere To Be Seen In Your Vicinity , Has Packed Lock, Stock And Barrel And Flown To Some Vague, New, Unknown Destination, Adopting A New Name To Befool Fresh ,Gullible Consumers.
India Is A Famous Destination For Dumping Sub-Standard, Cheaper Versions Of So-Called "TIER-1 Solar Panels" Manufactured By So-Called "TIER-1 Companies" Not Fit For Entry In Other Developed Nations. With Critical Failures Now More Common Than What Would Be Perceived, The Right Product Selection From The Start Is Vital. High Efficiency TIER-1 Panels Sound Great But Thats About As Good As It Gets.Understand That To Develop True High Efficiency, Robust, Industry Leading Solar Panels Takes A Refined Process Which Costs Big Money And A Calibre Of Integrity Which Exists Beyond The TIER-1 Norm.
Please Do Not Compare :
1.Chalk With Cheese
2.Apples With Oranges
Select Dawn 2 Dusk IPL Which Is Based Totally On Performance And Superior Build Quality. The Systems Are Proven To Outlast In Indian Conditions With Better Than Expected Returns. "TIER-1" Is The Easy-To-Believe, Lacklustre Industry Term Extorted By Low-End Marketers, Usually Quoting A Price Which Sounds And Appears Too Good To Be True, Backed The Same Warranties As Of The Sector Leaders, Claiming To be Industry Leaders Themselves. The Sad Part Is That These Unscrupulous Companies Exploit The Customer's Tendency To Save A Few Thousand Rupees As Well As Take Advantage Of Their Lack Of Knowledge On A Confusing Purchase In A Sea Full Of Competition Trying To Pocket Your Order And Win The Business. The Norm In These Cases Is "Less Is More" [i.e. Pay Less Initially, More Later]
YOU BE THE JUDGE :
Low Quality Products
1. Shall Burn A Hole In Your Pocket
2. Shall Destroy Your Belief & Confidence On Solar Energy/Power
Did You Know That In The Year 2012 , There Were 300 Solar EPC Companies , Out Of Which Only 10% Were Genuine , Quality Oriented Companies. The Remaining 90% Were Those Who Made Fast Bucks At The Expense Of Customers, Using The Cheapest Of Materials. Now Fast Forward 8 Years - Those 10% Companies Still Exist.
Recently A Very Large Cheap Company Went Bankrupt As Well.
Today There Are Over A 2000 Solar EPC Companies In India. Now Think Of The Year 2026 [Six Years Ahead] – Less Than 10% Quality Oriented Companies Would Exist.
No Sensible Person Would Like To Put Their Hard Earned Money At Risk.
You Therefore Have Only Two Choices Before You :
1. Go Down That Path Just To Prove Their Claims To Be Wrong After A Few Years, Then Get The Installation Done By Dawn 2 Dusk IPL.
2. Choose Wisely - Choose The Best - Choose Dawn 2 Dusk IPL At The Very Onset And Leave The Rest To The Organization Which Supports A "Zero Compromise" Policy And The Latest German Technology.
Rest Assured, We Shall Not Rest Until Your Rest Is Assured.
