Undetected faults and damage in solar PV modules, like cracks, manufacturing errors and foreign material, pose a “significant risk” to the solar industry according to a new report from US renewables firm Clean Energy Associates (CEA).
Concerns have been raised that the US solar industry’s reputation could be impacted by underperforming assets if investors do not see their return profiles being realised several years down the line.
Last year analysis by renewables performance aggregator and insurance provider kWh Analytics highlighted the extent of solar asset underperformance against P50 estimates in the US. Here, the company’s Sarath Srinivasan details some of the reasons behind that underperformance.