Introduction
The PV failure fact sheets summarise some of the most important aspects of single failures. The target audience of these PVFSs are PV planners, installers, investors, independent experts and insurance companies, and anyone interested in a brief description of failures with examples, an estimation of risks and suggestions of how to intervene or prevent these failures.
From 1-1 to 1-5
| No | Component | Failure name |
| 1-1 | PV module | Cell cracks |
| 1-2 | PV module | Discolouration of encapsulant or backsheet |
| 1-3 | PV module | Front delamination |
| 1-4 | PV module | Backsheet delamination |
| 1-5 | PV module | Backsheet cracking |
From 1-6 to 1-10
|
No |
Component |
Failure name |
|
1-6 |
PV module |
Backsheet chalking (whitening) |
|
1-7 |
PV module |
Burn marks |
|
1-8 |
PV module |
Glass breakage |
|
1-9 |
PV module |
Cell interconnection failure |
|
1-10 |
PV module |
Potential induced degradation |
From 1-11 to 1-15
|
No |
Component |
Failure name |
|
1-11 |
PV module |
Metallisation discolouration/corrosion |
|
1-12 |
PV module |
Glass corrosion or abrasion |
|
1-13 |
PV module |
Defect or detached junction box |
|
1-14 |
PV module |
Junction box interconnection failure |
|
1-15 |
PV module |
Missing or insufficient bypass diode protection |
From 2-1 to 2-4
|
No |
Component |
Failure name |
| 2-1 | Cable and Interconnector | DC connector mismatch |
| 2-2 | Cable and Interconnector | Defect DC connector/cable |
| 2-3 | Cable and Interconnector | Insulation failure |
| 2-4 | Cable and Interconnector | Thermal damage in combiner box |
From 3-1 to 3-3
|
No |
Component |
Failure name |
| 3-1 | Mounting | Bad module clamping |
| 3-2 | Mounting | Inappropriate/defect mounting structure |
| 3-3 | Mounting | Module shading |
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From 4-1 to 4-3
|
No |
Component |
Failure name |
| 4-1 | Inverter | Overheating (temperature derating) |
| 4-2 | Inverter | Incorrect installation |
| 4-3 | Inverter | Complete failure (not operating) |
From 1-16 to 1-20
|
No |
Component |
Failure name |
|
1-16 |
PV module |
Not conform power rating |
|
1-17 |
PV module |
Light induced degradation in c-Si modules |
|
1-18 |
PV module |
Insulation failure |
|
1-19 |
PV module |
Hot spot (thermal patterns) |
|
1-20 |
PV module |
Soiling |