Protecting Quality in the Solar Industry: Addressing Hidden Risks for a Sustainable Future

Energy Guardian: The Quality Battle in the Photovoltaic Industry: Beware of “Invisible Killers” and Build a Bright Future Together

As the global energy transition progresses, the photovoltaic industry is rapidly growing, boasting an annual increase of over 20%. According to the latest data from the National Energy Administration, by the end of 2024, China’s installed photovoltaic capacity will surpass 887 million kilowatts. However, this promising sector is not without its challenges, as it faces quality issues such as “substandard components” and “reduced lifespan of power plants.” When solar panels on rooftops become safety hazards, and the returns on investment are diminished due to subpar products, how can we safeguard our “solar benefits”?

The Hidden Costs: The Ripple Effect of Poor-Quality Components

A painful lesson from a distributed photovoltaic power station serves as a warning: an array that initially met power generation standards saw a 12% power reduction after three seasons of rain and wind. Investigation revealed that insufficient weather resistance of the backsheet led to Potential Induced Degradation (PID), and premature yellowing of the EVA film caused delamination. These subtle defects, invisible to the naked eye, act like time bombs, turning a 25-year warranty into a mere illusion. What is even more alarming is the industry’s “grey production chain,” where small-scale factories pass off B-grade solar cells as A-grade products. Backsheets made from recycled materials often fail to meet UV resistance standards, exhibiting PID within just three weeks during humidity tests. These unreliable “photovoltaic impostors” threaten to undermine the entire industry’s credibility.

Three Layers of Protection: Building a Quality Firewall

• Traceability Certification System: High-quality components come with a “genetic code,” tracing records from silicon purity, cell conversion efficiency, to encapsulation material transparency. Products can obtain international certifications such as TÜV Rheinland PID test reports and CSA salt spray certification.
• Full-Cycle Testing Mechanism: Leading companies have established numerous quality control processes, from detecting micro-cracks to locating hotspots. For example, bifacial modules must undergo full-scene simulation certification at the National Photovoltaic Quality Inspection Center (CPVT), the only authoritative platform covering the entire photovoltaic industry chain in China. This institution verifies component reliability under extreme laboratory conditions, simulating temperatures from -40°C to 85°C. Leading manufacturers have also exceeded IEC basic requirements with their mechanical load tests (±5400Pa) and UV aging standards.
• Intelligent Operations and Maintenance Assurance: Utilizing IV curve diagnostics and drone infrared inspections, digital methods can promptly identify component defects. Energy Guardian’s proprietary NiOS™ smart energy management system integrates cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence to achieve 24/7 real-time monitoring, significantly reducing fault diagnosis and response times while enhancing operational efficiency.

Industry Co-Governance: Illuminating Every Link of the Chain

In response to the market for counterfeit components, regulatory bodies have established a photovoltaic “ID card” system, requiring each module to be encoded upon storage. Statistics from third-party organizations show that photovoltaic power stations using high-standard components can reduce their Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) by 0.12 yuan per kilowatt-hour over a 25-year period. As green power plants become a central issue of our time, opting for durable photovoltaic products is not only a responsibility towards one’s assets but also a contribution to carbon neutrality commitments.

Let us use our professional insights to cut through market confusion and collectively protect this “solar contract”—because every watt of clean electricity deserves our earnest attention.

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