DuPont Photovoltaic and Advanced Materials (DuPont) issued its annual Global Field Reliability Study today, with results from their field inspection and analysis program that tracks material degradation and its effects on global solar module performance.

This program is one of the most thorough of its kind, guided by a multistep inspection protocol at sites in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and staffed with some of the most experienced scientists in the solar industry. This team of experts has compiled global data from 6.5M modules, 355 Installations and 1.8GW of Total Power

Key Findings (Compared to Last Year): 

• The number of site inspections in the report grew from 275 to 355.
• The number of panels surveyed increased from 4.2 million to over 6.5 million (1.04 GW to 1.8 GW).
• Overall module defect rates increased since 2018.
• Total module defects: 34 percent
• Total backsheet defects: 14 percent
• Backsheet defects increased 47 percent from 2018
• Cracking comprises 66 percent of all backsheet defects

“For nearly a decade, DuPont has collaborated with field partners, customers, downstream developers, universities, and national labs to perform these field inspections,” said Kaushik Roy Choudhury, Ph.D., Global Reliability Manager for DuPont. “Our mission is simple yet critical: to inspect, assess and understand the state of degradation of fielded photovoltaic (PV) modules so we can offer a current and reliable source to help buyers understand the breadth of component degradation issues and module failures that affect their return on investment,” Roy Choudhury added.

This 2019 report was assembled from inspection and analysis by DuPont teams using a variety of criteria including: component, material, mounting, time in service and climate.

“While our field analysis looks at all component materials, we focus special attention on backsheet durability, which plays a critical role in ensuring modules will last long enough to reach the financial objectives of their owners,” said Roy Choudhury.

The report lays out failures with PET, polyamide and PVDF backsheets and issues with glass on glass modules the team is witnessing. “This is the second year we’ve reported on Glass-Glass module failures, as our data continues to grow with modules that have been in the field over four years,” noted Roy Choudhury. “We highlight a specific field case in the report that looks at one field with multiple Bills of Materials (BOMs) and the issues the panels had with delamination and cracking of backsheets, and the associated replacement costs the owner faced.”

The report also highlights trends in module failures and defects, chronicles backsheet defects by panel age, and provides comprehensive data on backsheet defects by temperature and climate. The report can be downloaded free of charge at photovoltaics.dupont.com.

About DuPont Photovoltaic and Advanced Materials

DuPont Photovoltaic and Advanced Materials (PVAM) represents a portfolio of product solutions with over 40+ years of service to the solar, aerospace, automotive industries and many others. Our products deliver proven power and lasting value for the fast-growing photovoltaics sector, including DuPont™ Solamet® metallization pastes, DuPont™ Tedlar® films as well as DuPont™ Fortasun™ solar silicones. The growing portfolio of DuPont Advanced Materials thick film compositions are used in a variety of electronic applications in the automotive, biomedical, industrial, military, telecommunications and electronic wearables markets. We are committed to continuing to innovate through time-tested science and engineering to solve today’s challenges. To learn more about the PVAM business, please visit http://photovoltaics.dupont.com and http://advancedmaterials.dupont.com.

About DuPont

DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, health and wellness, food, and worker safety. More information can be found at http://www.dupont.com/.