Electro-luminescence (EL) Testing is a method used to identify defects that aren’t visually accessible to the naked eye within the solar module’s silicon cells. Through the use of a special camera, defects are pinpointed with the infrared light emission that photovoltaic cells naturally emit.
With over 15 years of experience in the solar industry, we have seen how valuable and important EL Testing is. This is why we use this testing method to detect the root causes of invisible issues that can entirely disrupt your solar power and affect your safety. In addition, there are countless benefits that EL Testing provides.
The benefits of EL Testing
The long-term performance and reliability of solar energy is a major factor for people making the sustainable energy switch. To ensure that all solar system owners reap the maximum amount of benefits from their renewable energy source, solar modules are frequently tested. EL Testing helps drive the efficiency of solar panels, by finding these hidden defects before they become a major hazard. The benefits of this testing method are unparalleled as it offers:
- Comprehensive high speed analysis
- Cost-effectiveness
- Early detection of defects
- Non-destructive testing
- Quality assurance
- Quality control
This form of non-destructive testing is very beneficial for all parties involved, especially for people who have solar panels on the roof above them. EL Testing dictates the quality of each solar module, ensuring that every solar panel installed is top quality and won’t fail for what this testing method can find.
The comprehensive high speed analysis means that in an efficient amount of time, many modules can be tested to detect defects before they become a significant issue. There’s numerous defects that are found in the testing process, but what are they and what kind of damage can they cause?
Defects discovered through EL Testing
These hidden defects can significantly affect the efficiency of your solar panels performance and put you in harm’s way. We like to ensure that you get your value for money when making the sustainable switch to solar energy and that you are at no risk whatsoever when solar panels are installed. We incorporate EL Testing for every solar panel we use and have found numerous defects like backsheet scratches and wafer defects, as well as several other highly disruptive issues.
Microcracks
The main root of this issue is manufacturing defects however, natural causes such as humidity and freezing temperatures or the modules being bumped into, dropped or stepped on, can also cause microcracks to occur. Microcracks have the potential to cause hot spots or diode activation over time, which are safety risks and why solar modules need to be treated with care throughout the entire process, from manufacturing up to when they’re installed.
Cell cracks
Cell cracks are severe defects which happen due to an isolation of a region of cells. This means that current won’t pass through this area and will most likely lead to hotspots or thermal dissipations occurring. When current does pass through these hotspots, it will cause solar panels to heat up and sustain damage.
Soldering defects
During the soldering process, if the temperature is not high enough then cold soldering will occur. This issue intercepts the connection between the cell ribbon and cell tab which will prevent electricity from flowing, leading to power production loss. Cold soldering can lead to safety hazards, such as being at risk of a fire.
Bypass diode failure
This defect will cause one of three cell strings to switch off, in turn leading to an energy output reducing by a third. Bypass diode failure is commonly detected and mainly found during the functioning process of the module. This issue can cause the junction box to be short-circuited and burn out if either dust or water penetrates the enclosure.
Potential induced degradation
To generate a high voltage system, solar panels are connected in a long series and solar inverters are used due to such high voltage. For low quality solar cells, the power difference can be too great which can lead them to failure, but to determine the quality of the cells EL Testing is used.
Dead cells
When a particular solar cell stops conducting current and energy, that means that it is a dead cell. This can be caused by mechanical stress which may have caused a prior cell crack in that area. EL Testing is used to determine if this issue will occur, which will ensure the efficiency of your solar system.
Any of these hidden defects can be found either during the production process, through EL Testing by a third party, and before or even after installation. It’s important that solar modules are tested a number of times to ensure that all defects that can interfere with your solar power system won’t be a factor once they’re installed.
EL Testing is so important to find these invisible defects and it also helps to determine faulty solar modules as well. That’s why there are several stages of testing, because defects may not be found on the first or even second stage of testing. It’s a highly controlled and quality method that our specialist team uses. We are here to ensure that the solar system you paid for provides maximum efficiency and will not affect your safety by any means.
EL Testing is so important to find these invisible defects and it also helps to determine faulty solar modules as well. That’s why there are several stages of testing, because defects may not be found on the first or even second stage of testing. It’s a highly controlled and quality method that our specialist team uses. We are here to ensure that the solar system you paid for provides maximum efficiency and will not affect your safety by any means.
If you have any questions about EL Testing, the process behind it or the effectiveness of it, be sure to get in touch with your most trusted solar energy company. Additionally, if you’re interested in any of our services, call us on 02 4315 2391 and we’ll help you save money on your electricity bills as we have with thousands of customers in the Central Coast and Sydney-wide.
